Feng-Hao Liu

Recruiting PHD Students

Our group has multiple positions for Computer Science (CS) PhD students at WSU, Fall 2024 and open until filled.

Timeframe

• For Fall 2024, the priority date is Jan 10, 2024. For Spring 2025, the priority date is July 1, 2024
• GRE scores are optional for Fall 2024 & Spring 2025. TOEFL or other equivalent is required for international students.
• Future terms are possible, but priority is given for Fall 2024.

You are strongly encouraged to contact me if you are seriously interested in the positions, and tell me about your background. If you miss the priority date for application, you are still encouraged to contact me for the application. Please read this page for further guidelines.

Application process can be found at the this page.

Description of the positions

Multiple fully funded RA/TA positions are available with the Crypto group. The research directions are aligned with the advisor’s primal interetes, including

• Lattice-based cryptography
• Fully homomorphic encryption – core theory and/or applications, e.g., secure machine learning and data analytics
• Post-quantum cryptography and advanced crypto designs, including functional encryption, attribute-based encryption, advanced signatures, efficient Zero-knowledge proofs
• Multiparty computation and applications

We aim to push the boundaries of cutting-edge research and expand the influence of cryptography to ultimately create a secure and reliable cyberspace for future demands. As part of this vision, students are encouraged to propose and explore relevant topics that align with their research interests. The advisor will provide guidance and support to help students narrow down and pursue essential subjects that have been identified.

Upon successfully completing your Ph.D. journey, it is expected that you will undertake and contribute to your own “masterpiece work,” which represents your unique contribution to the field and showcases your original research and expertise.

Preferred qualifications

We look for students who exhibit self-motivation and a genuine passion for research. Patience, diligence, and perseverance are particularly valuable traits when it comes to complex and large-scale research. Additionally, effective English communication skills, including speaking and writing, are necessary.

Our group requires specific skills for different research directions. However, it is not necessary to have mastered everything at the beginning. As long as you possess a true passion for any research direction, you can learn the necessary foundation and develop new techniques throughout the research exploration.

• For theory-oriented directions, the research requires strong mathematical and algorithmic skills, such as crypto reduction, simulation paradigm, and algebraic number theory. We recommend reading some of the advisor’s papers for references.
• For application-oriented directions, the research requires strong programming skills such as optimizing algorithms in some libraries, multi-core CPU programming, GPU, and hardware to develop competitively efficient and usable software tools. We often need to “open the box” to improve existing implementations instead of solely relying on them to build applications.
• For those interested in working on crypto in an applied domain (e.g., ML), some basic knowledge of the applied domain is preferred.

Regardless of which direction you decide to pursue, all our group members are expected to become solid researchers, possessing a strong comprehension of modern cryptography at the time of graduation.

Funding

All positions are fully funded (RA/TA or combined), including tuition, health insurance, and stipend.