Gabe Kaptchuk

Gabe Kaptchuk is an Assistant Professor in the Computer Science Department at the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD), focusing on cryptography, privacy, and their social implications. He is affiliated with UMD's MC² (Maryland Cybersecurity Center) and UMIACS (Institute for Advanced Computer Studies). Previously, he was research faculty at Boston University and earned his PhD from Johns Hopkins University under advisors Avi Rubin and Matt Green.

Research Interests: Kaptchuk's work bridges theoretical cryptography and social applications, emphasizing secure multiparty computation (MPC), zero-knowledge proofs, and steganography. He also explores the intersection of cryptography with law, policy, and human-centered design. Notable projects include Meteor (secure steganography using generative models) and Pulsar (MPC for dynamic participants).

Teaching: Courses include Governing Algorithms (UMD) and Law and Algorithms (BU), focusing on algorithmic governance, privacy, and legal implications of technology. He has taught computer security and networks at Johns Hopkins and BU.

Grants & Funding: Recent NSF awards include Collaborative Research: ReDDDoT Phase 2 (2024) for participatory privacy protections in AI training data. Active in deploying MPC for social good, such as analyses for Boston Women’s Workforce Council.

Labs/Teams: Collaborates with researchers at Georgetown, Columbia, and institutions like the Wikimedia Foundation. Co-authors include Rachel Cummings, Elissa Redmiles, and Matthew Green on privacy and usability topics.