Shafi Goldwasser

Shafi Goldwasser is Director of the Simons Institute for the Theory of Computing and holds professorships at the University of California, Berkeley (Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science), MIT, and the Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel. Her work bridges cryptography, computational learning, and theoretical computer science.

Education:

• B.S. Applied Mathematics, Carnegie Mellon University (1979)
• M.S. Computer Science, University of California, Berkeley (1984)
• Ph.D. Computer Science, University of California, Berkeley (1984)

Goldwasser pioneered probabilistic encryption, interactive zero-knowledge protocols, elliptic curve primality testing, hardness of approximation proofs, and combinatorial property testing. Her recent research focuses on cryptographic approaches to safe machine learning, addressing security and privacy challenges in AI systems through formal verification and cryptographic tools.

Her scientific contributions have earned exceptional recognition across disciplines:

• ACM Turing Award (2012)
• Gödel Prizes (1993, 2001)
• ACM Grace Murray Hopper Award (1996)
• RSA Award in Mathematics (1998)
• ACM Athena Award (2008)
• Benjamin Franklin Medal (2010)
• IEEE Emanuel R. Piore Award (2011)
• Simons Foundation Investigator Award (2012)
• BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award (2017)

As Director of the Simons Institute, she leads collaborative theoretical research initiatives and interdisciplinary workshops advancing foundational computing principles. Her academic service includes memberships in the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and multiple international science academies.