NYU Tandon Professor Ramesh Karri inducted into IEEE HOST Hall of Fame
Hardware security pioneer and Department Chair recognized for leadership in cybersecurity research
Professor Ramesh Karri, chair of NYU Tandon’s Electrical and Computer Engineering Department (ECE), has been named to the IEEE International Symposium on Hardware Oriented Security and Trust (HOST) Hall of Fame. The honor recognizes Karri’s leadership as General Chair of the 2013 conference and his broader impact on the field of hardware security.
HOST is the premier annual conference focused on hardware-based security research and development. Since 2008, it has served as the globally recognized event for advancing knowledge and technologies related to hardware security and assurance.
Karri’s induction places him among a distinguished group of Hall of Fame researchers that includes HOST co-founders Jim Plusquellic (University of New Mexico), recognized for his pioneering work in Physical Unclonable Function (PUF)-based authentication and Mark Tehranipoor (University of Florida), an IEEE and ACM Fellow known for his foundational hardware security research, and along with MIT's Srini Devadas, inventor of PUFs and winner of the IEEE McDowell Award for secure hardware contributions.
The HOST Hall-of-Fame committee inducted Dr. Ramesh Karri into the HOST Hall-of-Fame for his seminal work in the field of logic obfuscation, logic encryption and logic locking, and for significant contributions in the fields of hardware Trojans and secure manufacturing.”
— HOST co-founder Jim Plusquellic
Karri has spent more than two decades studying how to secure the physical foundations of modern computing systems. His research has shaped approaches to safeguarding integrated circuits, processors, and cyber-physical systems, and has explored emerging challenges in areas such as biochip and additive manufacturing security. He is an IEEE Fellow and the author of over 350 peer-reviewed publications, with multiple best paper awards from leading conferences including ACM Conference on Computer and Communications Security and IEEE venues.
"Ramesh's induction into the IEEE HOST Hall of Fame reflects his significant contributions to hardware cybersecurity and his work in developing the academic and research infrastructure that has supported this important field," said Juan de Pablo, NYU's Executive Vice President for Global Science and Technology and Executive Dean of Tandon. "His leadership at the NYU Center for Cybersecurity and ECE shows his commitment to extending beyond his own research to engage the broader community of scholars and practitioners working to secure our digital infrastructure."
Beyond his scholarly work, Karri has played a formative role in creating new avenues for hardware security research and education. He is a co-founder of the NYU Center for Cybersecurity, one of the nation's leading academic hubs for cybersecurity research, which he co-directed from 2016 to 2024. He co-founded Trust-Hub, a widely used repository for hardware security benchmarks and tools. He also helps lead CSAW, the world's most comprehensive student-run cybersecurity event.
“I am deeply honored to be recognized by the IEEE for my contributions to hardware security,” Karri said. “This recognition reflects the collaborative efforts of the entire NYU Tandon community in advancing cybersecurity research and education. As hardware becomes increasingly central to our digital lives, ensuring its security and trustworthiness remains one of our most critical challenges.”
