# Raluca Ada Popa > Romanian computer scientist **Wikidata**: [Q102961583](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q102961583) **Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raluca_Ada_Popa) **Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/raluca-ada-popa ## Summary Raluca Ada Popa is a Romanian computer scientist specializing in cryptography, currently affiliated with the University of California, Berkeley and Google DeepMind. She received the Grace Murray Hopper Award in 2021 for her contributions to secure computing. ## Biography - Born: 1987 in Sibiu, Romania - Nationality: Romania - Education: - Bachelor's degree, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2009) - Master of Science in Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2010) - Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2014) - Known for: Cryptography research and secure computing - Employer(s): University of California, Berkeley, Google DeepMind - Field(s): Computer science, cryptography ## Contributions Raluca Ada Popa is a researcher in cryptography and computer science whose work focuses on secure computing and privacy-preserving techniques in computer systems. She has contributed to the development of practical cryptographic solutions for data security. Popa's research bridges theoretical computer science with applications in areas like confidential computing. She has published research in her field and has been recognized with the Grace Murray Hopper Award in 2021 for her contributions to computing. Her dual affiliation with both academia and industry helps advance secure computing technologies through both theoretical research and practical applications. ## FAQs ### Q: What is Raluca Ada Popa known for? A: Raluca Ada Popa is known for her research in cryptography and secure computing, particularly her work on practical solutions for secure multi-party computation and confidential computing. ### Q: Where did Raluca Ada Popa receive her education? A: She received all her degrees from Massachusetts Institute of Technology: a Bachelor's degree in 2009, a Master of Science in Computer Science in 2010, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science in 2014. ### Q: What awards has Raluca Ada Popa received? A: She received the Grace Murray Hopper Award in 2021, which recognizes outstanding young professionals in the field of computing. ### Q: Where does Raluca Ada Popa currently work? A: She is currently affiliated with the University of California, Berkeley and Google DeepMind. ## Why They Matter Raluca Ada Popa's work in cryptography and secure computing has contributed to advancing the field of privacy-preserving computing. By focusing on practical solutions for secure data processing, her research addresses important challenges in computer security. Her recognition with the Grace Murray Hopper Award in 2021 demonstrates her significant impact in the computing field. Her dual affiliation with both academia (UC Berkeley) and industry (Google DeepMind) helps bridge theoretical research with practical applications, contributing to the advancement of secure computing technologies. ## Notable For - Recipient of the Grace Murray Hopper Award (2021) for contributions to computing - Romanian computer scientist specializing in cryptography - Current affiliations with University of California, Berkeley and Google DeepMind - Complete education at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2009-2014) - Professional profile in academic computing circles with recognized contributions to cryptography ## Body ### Early Life and Education Raluca Ada Popa was born in 1987 in Sibiu, Romania. She completed her entire educational journey at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, earning a Bachelor's degree in 2009, a Master of Science in Computer Science in 2010, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science in 2014. Her doctoral advisor was Nickolai Zeldovich. ### Professional Affiliations Popa is currently affiliated with the University of California, Berkeley and also works with Google DeepMind, a leading artificial intelligence company. Her professional background combines both academic research and industry applications. ### Research Focus Her primary field of work is computer science with a specialization in cryptography. Popa's research concentrates on practical solutions for secure computing, including secure multi-party computation and confidential computing techniques. ### Recognition and Impact In 2021, Popa received the Grace Murray Hopper Award, which recognizes outstanding young professionals in the field of computing. Her work has contributed significantly to advancing practical cryptographic solutions that enable computation on encrypted data without compromising privacy, addressing critical challenges in data security and privacy preservation. ### Online Presence She maintains an active online presence through her website at https://people.eecs.berkeley.edu/~raluca/ and has profiles on academic platforms including Google Scholar (author ID: NvKHgzkAAAAJ) and the ACM Digital Library (author ID: 99659462253). ## References 1. [Mesaj de încredere în țară de la tânăra din Sibiu cu două start-upuri în SUA: „Văd enorm de mult progres în România. Știu că românii văd în continuare partea negativă. Și eu, aici, văd partea negativă din California”. Libertatea.ro. 2023](https://www.libertatea.ro/stiri/mesaj-de-incredere-in-tara-de-la-tanara-din-sibiu-cu-doua-startup-uri-in-sua-vad-enorm-de-mult-progres-in-romania-stiu-ca-romanii-vad-in-continuare-partea-negativa-si-eu-aici-vad-partea-4518638) 2. Mathematics Genealogy Project 3. [Source](https://www2.eecs.berkeley.edu/Faculty/Homepages/ralucap.html) 4. [Meet Raluca Ada Popa, a 2023 Datanami Person to Watch. 2023](https://www.bigdatawire.com/2023/07/07/meet-raluca-ada-popa-a-2023-datanami-person-to-watch/) 5. [Source](https://awards.acm.org/hopper/award-recipients) 6. [Raluca Ada Popa. MIT Technology Review](https://www.technologyreview.com/innovator/raluca-ada-popa/)