Shouhuai Xu, UCCS professor of cybersecurity, has been named an Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) 2024 Distinguished Member. ACM is a scholarly society, which announced the worldwide 2024 cohort of 56 new distinguished members. The yearly honor is bestowed on members by their ACM peers for “significant technical achievements” and volunteer service to the professional community. In addition to being a member of ACM, candidates had to meet additional professional criteria have made a significant impact in their field.
Xu was honored by ACM for his “contributions to the field of cybersecurity, especially cyber resilience.” Xu is a popular professor in the UCCS Computer Science Department. He is the Gallogly Chair in Cybersecurity and founding Director of the Laboratory for Cybersecurity Dynamics. Xu conducts cybersecurity research with undergraduate and graduate students at the UCCS College of Engineering and Applied Science and fosters regional collaborations for cybersecurity activities. He holds multiple federal research grants and has been instrumental in the continued development of UCCS as cybersecurity center in the state of Colorado and the region.
Multiple new initiatives at UCCS have been started by Xu, including cybersecurity industry-to-academia research conferences, new cybersecurity internships for bachelor, master, and Ph.D. students, and new grants focused on cyber resilience, like the DoD NSIN/UC2 award which will include collaborations with U.S. Space Force and create a cadre of ROTC cadets trained in cybersecurity strategy and techniques. He has over 20 UCCS student interns and graduate students working on cybersecurity research projects through his lab, and takes on high-performing high school interns. Xu led the effort to get the National Security Agency Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Research (CAE-R) designation for UCCS. This designation is the first in the state for all higher education institutions.
ACM identifies as the “world’s largest educational and scientific computing society, uniting educators, researchers, and professionals to inspire dialogue, share resources, and address the field’s challenges. ACM strengthens the computing profession’s collective voice through strong leadership, promotion of the highest standards, and recognition of technical excellence.”
The ACM Distinguished Member program, started in 2006, recognizes members with at least 15 years of professional experience who have made significant accomplishments.