Shaanan Cohney Joins the Department of Computer Science

The Department of Computer Science welcomes Assistant Professor Shaanan Cohney, starting August 1, 2026. 

Cohney joins Tufts from the University of Melbourne, where he was a Senior Lecturer (a faculty rank broadly comparable to Associate Professor in the United States) and an Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) Fellow. The DECRA is one of Australia’s most prestigious and competitive national fellowships for early-career researchers, providing three years of support for an independent research program.

His research sits at the intersection of computer security, privacy, law, and public policy, with a focus on how real-world technical systems interact with legal and institutional constraints. His work has received major international recognition, including an ACM CCS Best Paper Award, an ICSE Distinguished Paper Award, and a Pwnie Award for Best Cryptographic Attack. He earned his Ph.D. and M.S.E. in computer and information science, as well as a master's in law from the University of Pennsylvania, and a BS.c. and Diploma of Music from the University of Melbourne and its Conservatorium. 

His teaching has received national and university-level recognition, including the Computing Research and Education Association of Australasia Early Career Teaching Award. With expertise spanning computer security, law, and public policy, Cohney will help advance and strengthen cybersecurity research and education at Tufts.