# Susan Landau

> American mathematician and engineer

**Wikidata**: [Q11766](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11766)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Landau)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/susan-landau

## Summary
Susan Landau is an American mathematician, computer scientist, and engineer known for research and public-policy leadership in security and privacy. She is an ACM Fellow (2011) recognized specifically "for public policy leadership in security and privacy" and a recipient of a 2012 Guggenheim Fellowship.

## Biography
- Born: 1954-06-03, New York City
- Nationality: United States
- Education: Bronx High School of Science; Cornell University; Princeton University; Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Ph.D., 1983)
- Known for: Research and public-policy leadership in security and privacy in computing
- Employer(s): Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Google; Sun Microsystems
- Field(s): Mathematics; Computer science; Engineering

## Contributions
Susan Landau has combined mathematical training and engineering work with sustained contributions to computer security and privacy research and public policy. She completed a Ph.D. at MIT in 1983 under doctoral advisor Gary Miller and has an extensive publication record indexed in major bibliographic databases (MathSciNet MR author id 215941, dblp author id 44/6965, SSRN author id 1661299). Landau held research and engineering roles in industry at Sun Microsystems and Google and has held academic affiliation with Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Her leadership in the intersection of technology and policy was explicitly recognized when she was named an ACM Fellow in 2011 "for public policy leadership in security and privacy." She has also received a Guggenheim Fellowship (2012) and an Anita Borg Institute Women of Vision Award (2008). These fellowships and awards reflect concrete outcomes: peer-reviewed technical publications, industry research contributions, and influence on policy discussions linking cryptography, security, and privacy to public-sector decision making.

## FAQs
### Q: Who is Susan Landau?
A: Susan Landau is an American mathematician, computer scientist, and engineer noted for research and leadership in security and privacy. She holds a Ph.D. from MIT (1983) and has worked in both industry (Sun Microsystems, Google) and academia (Worcester Polytechnic Institute).

### Q: What recognition has she received?
A: Landau is an ACM Fellow (2011) cited for public policy leadership in security and privacy. She is also a Guggenheim Fellow (2012), an Anita Borg Institute Women of Vision awardee (2008), and an ACM Distinguished Member (2006).

### Q: Where did she study and who supervised her Ph.D.?
A: She studied at Bronx High School of Science, Cornell University, Princeton University, and earned her Ph.D. from MIT in 1983. Her doctoral advisor was Gary Miller.

## Why They Matter
Susan Landau’s significance lies in bridging rigorous mathematical and engineering approaches with real-world security and privacy policy. Her career spans industry research at companies such as Sun Microsystems and Google and academic roles including affiliation with Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Professional recognition—most notably the ACM Fellowship for public-policy leadership in security and privacy—documents her influence at the intersection of technical research and policy debate. Fellowships such as the 2012 Guggenheim and the Anita Borg Women of Vision award further attest to the broader impact of her work beyond technical circles. Through publications indexed in MathSciNet, dblp, and SSRN, and through roles in both industry and academia, Landau has contributed to the body of knowledge that informs how cryptography, system security, and privacy considerations are translated into practice and policy. Without leaders who operate across theory, engineering, and policy like Landau, the translation of cryptographic and security research into public-policy frameworks would be less informed by technical realities.

## Notable For
- Named ACM Fellow (2011) "for public policy leadership in security and privacy."
- Awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2012.
- Recipient of an Anita Borg Institute Women of Vision award (2008).
- ACM Distinguished Member (2006).
- Ph.D. in 1983 from Massachusetts Institute of Technology; doctoral advisor Gary Miller.
- Employment and research roles at Sun Microsystems and Google; academic affiliation with Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

## Body

### Personal and Identifiers
- Full name: Susan Eva Landau.
- Born 1954-06-03 in New York City.
- Gender: Female.
- Languages: English.
- Author and identifier records: Math Reviews author id MR215941; dblp author id 44/6965; SSRN author id 1661299; ISNI 0000000109178911; VIAF 76552183.

### Education
- Attended Bronx High School of Science.
- Undergraduate and graduate studies include Cornell University and Princeton University (specific degrees not listed in source material).
- Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, completed in 1983.
- Doctoral advisor: Gary Miller.

### Career and Employment
- Industry employers include Sun Microsystems and Google (positions not dated in provided material).
- Academic affiliation with Worcester Polytechnic Institute (listed among affiliated institutions).
- Fields of work documented: mathematics, computer science, and engineering.
- Recognized for public-policy work in security and privacy.

### Research and Publications
- Author of peer-reviewed and scholarly works indexed across standard bibliographic services: Math Reviews (MR author id 215941), dblp (44/6965), SSRN (1661299).
- Contributions span technical research in computing as well as public-policy engagement on security and privacy (explicitly cited in ACM fellowship).

### Awards, Honors, and Memberships
- ACM Distinguished Member, 2006.
- ACM Fellow (elected 2011) — citation: "For public policy leadership in security and privacy."
- Guggenheim Fellowship, 2012.
- Anita Borg Institute Women of Vision Award, 2008.
- Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (date not specified in provided material).
- Member of Association for Computing Machinery.

### Mentorship and Academic Lineage
- Doctoral advisor: Gary Miller.
- Mathematics Genealogy Project id: 60037.

### Bibliographic and Library Records
- Library of Congress authority id: n87154369.
- WorldCat entities id and multiple national library identifiers recorded in source material.

## Schema Markup
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## References

1. Virtual International Authority File
2. datos.bne.es
3. [Source](https://anitab.org/profiles/abie-award-winners/social-impact/susan-landau/)
4. Guggenheim Fellows database
5. [Source](https://www.acm.org/binaries/content/assets/press-releases/2011/december/acm-fellows-2011c.pdf)
6. [Source](https://awards.acm.org/distinguished-members/award-winners)
7. Mathematics Genealogy Project
8. International Standard Name Identifier
9. CiNii Research
10. MAK
11. CONOR.SI
12. National Library of Israel Names and Subjects Authority File