Stephen B. Wicker

Stephen B. Wicker is a Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Cornell University, with affiliations in the graduate fields of Computer Science, Information Science, and Applied Mathematics. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and has received multiple teaching awards at Cornell, including the College of Engineering Teaching Award (2012) and the Douglas Whitney '61 Excellence in Teaching Award (2010).

Education:

• B.S., Electrical and Communications Engineering, University of Virginia (1982)
• M.S., Electrical and Communications Engineering, Purdue University (1983)
• Ph.D., Electrical and Communications Engineering, University of Southern California (1987)

Wicker's research spans privacy and security in information networks, wireless systems, and network science. His work integrates game theory and mechanism design to address privacy challenges in consumer internet models. He has pioneered frameworks to balance data collection with user rights, influencing policy discussions on digital surveillance and Fifth Amendment protections.

Research Trends: Recent publications highlight intersections between 5G/IoT and healthcare systems, blockchain applications in IoT, and algorithmic fairness. His 2022 work on 5G in Healthcare explores network optimization, while 2018–2020 studies focus on surveillance ethics and cyber-physical security.

Scientific Awards:

• 2012 IEEE Fellow
• College of Engineering Teaching Award (2012, 2000, 1998)
• Douglas Whitney '61 Excellence in Teaching Award (2010)
• Cornell School of ECE Teaching Award (2009)

Wicker has mentored prominent researchers like Dipayan Ghosh, whose work on digital privacy builds on Wicker’s earlier studies. His contributions include six books, Cellular Convergence and the Death of Privacy (2013), and over 50 peer-reviewed articles, reflecting his focus on privacy-aware design and policy reform in technology.