Professor Alan Theodore Sherman

Professor Alan Theodore Sherman

Professor · Tenured

Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering

College of Engineering and Information Technology

He/Him/His/Himself

About

Alan T. Sherman’s research contributions include protocol analysis, educational cybersecurity assessment tools, and the VoteXX, Scantegrity, and Random Sample Election projects. A cryptographic consultant for private industry, Sherman earned his MS and PhD under Ronald Rivest at MIT.

Research interests

Security of voting systems, protocol analysis, cybersecurity education, cryptology, cybersecurity, discrete algorithms.

Teaching interests

Cybersecurity, cryptology, algorithms, discrete math

Education

  • Ph D, computer science — MIT (1987)
    Cryptology and VLSI (a two-part dissertation): I. Detecting and exploiting algebraic weaknesses in cryptosystems II. Algorithms for placing modules on a custom VLSI chip
  • Other, electrical engineering and computer science — MIT (1981)
    On the Enigma cryptograph and formal definitions of cryptographic strength
  • Other, mathematics — Brown University (1978)

Publications

Presentations

  • End-To-End Voter-Verifiable Elections: Scantegrity and Random-Sample Elections 2015 IEEE Intelligence and Security Informatics (ISI) · IEEE · Keynote/Plenary Address

Grants and Contracts

  • Collaborative Research: EAGER SaTC-EDU: Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity: From Research to the Classroom 2021 National Science Foundation · Grant · Funded Timothy W Finin (Principal), Anupam Joshi (Co-Principal), Alan T Sherman (Co-Principal), Richard Forno (Supporting), Linda M Oliva (Supporting)
  • Evaluation and enhancement of a learning unit on quantum algorithms 2020 Hrabowski Innovation Award · Grant · Funded Alan T Sherman (Principal), Linda M Oliva (Co-Principal), Samuel J Lomonaco (Co-Principal)
  • Validation of Cybersecurity Concept Inventories 2018 NSF · Grant · Funded Alan T Sherman, Linda M Oliva, Dhananjay Phatak
  • Development of a Curriculum Assessment Tool 2017 NSA · Grant · Funded Alan T Sherman, Linda M Oliva, Dhananjay Phatak (Co-Principal)
  • Development of a Curriculum Assessment Tool 2017 NSA · Grant · Funded Alan T Sherman, Linda M Oliva, Dhananjay Phatak (Co-Principal)
  • Creating Concept and Curriculum Assessment Tools for Cybersecurity 2015 NSA · Grant · Funded Alan T Sherman (Principal), Linda M Oliva (Co-Principal), Dhananjay Phatak (Co-Principal)
  • Supplement 2 to UMBC Cybersecurity Scholarship for Service Program and Innovations in Cybersecurity Education Workshop Series 2015 NSF · Grant · Funded Alan T Sherman, Richard Forno (Co-Principal)
  • (supplement) UMBC Cybersecurity Scholarship for Service Program and I 2013 NSF, Education and Human Resour 47.076 · Grant · Funded
  • UMBC Cybersecurity Scholarship for Service Program and I 2012 NSF, Education and Human Resour 47.076 · Grant · Funded

Courses Taught

  • Algorithms CMSC 641 · Spring 2016