Students Recognize Two SCP Faculty for Excellence in the Classroom

Two faculty in the School of Cybersecurity and Privacy (SCP) have been recognized by their students for demonstrating excellence in the classroom through the Annual Course Instructor Opinion Survey (CIOS) Awards. 

Assistant Professor Frank Li and Associate Professor Brendan Saltaformaggio both serve jointly with the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), where they teach graduate level cybersecurity courses. 

Li was recognized by his students from his Empirical Computer Security (ECE/CS8803) course. This class covers measurement and data analysis methods for understanding real-world security and privacy. The class is closely related to his research area and is one Li is personally passionate about. 

“I'm certainly thankful for the positive support from my students and I appreciate the recognition from Georgia Tech,” said Li. “I'm proud of this award mainly because it indicates that I've been able to provide a supportive and intellectually stimulating environment in class, which I feel is important for a positive educational experience.” 

Students enrolled in Advanced Malware Analysis (ECE/CS 6747) with Saltaformaggio learn the fundamental principles of dissecting malware, finding, and defending against vulnerabilities, and cyberattack triage. The course also prepares students to conduct research in cyberattack forensics and malware analysis.

“Cybersecurity is unlike many other classroom-taught disciplines in that there is little substitute for concrete experience,” said Saltaformaggio. “I have created two new courses, one at the graduate level and one at the undergraduate level, which introduce students to hands-on cyber forensics techniques like cyberattack investigation methodologies, malware reverse engineering, and even legal proceedings.”

The Annual CIOS Awards are given to faculty members and instructors that students rate highly for stimulating interest in the course topic, demonstrating enthusiasm in the classroom, and treating students with respect. Li and Saltaformaggio are among the 50 full time faculty across Georgia Tech chosen to receive the award.