Ying Wu College of Computing (YWCC) is pleased to announce the appointments of two new assistant professors who have already made a noticeable impact on students during the first half of the fall 2026 semester.
Varun Madathil comes to the Department of Computer Science direct from his postdoctoral work at Yale University. He earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science from North Carolina State University and brings expertise in applied cryptography, with a focus on designing cryptographic protocols for private computation and anonymous interaction. His work has applications in distributed systems, blockchains, private communication, and privacy-preserving computation, including private data analytics and secure aggregation. The emergence of privacy and security questions around AI systems is a current interest in his research and teaching.
Madathil’s work has appeared at venues including ACM CCS, USENIX Security, IEEE S&P, NDSS, ASIACRYPT, and CSF. Two projects, Private Signaling at USENIX Security 2022 and Jager at ACM CCS 2024, received Distinguished Paper Awards.
A new member of the elite CyberAICorps Scholarship for Service (CyberAISFS) program fall 2026 cohort, administered through the NJIT Secure Computing Initiative and competitively funded through the National Science Foundation (NSF) remarked, “Professor Madathil is incredible! His class has been a highlight this semester.”
Learn more about Varun Madathil:
What is it about NJIT that you feel is the right “fit” for you?
What feels right about NJIT to me is that there is already a strong community around security, privacy, systems, AI and blockchain, but there is also an amazing opportunity for me to build a new research program in modern cryptography.
My work has increasingly focused on taking cryptographic primitives and using them to build privacy-preserving systems, whether for databases, AI, blockchains or other multiparty settings. At NJIT, I see people working on complementary problems like database processing, systems security, AI Security so there are many opportunities for collaboration!
I also like that NJIT has a very applied, technically focused culture. I care about the foundations of cryptography, but I am most excited when those foundations solve real privacy problems. That theory-to-practice connection seems very natural at NJIT. And because computing is large and growing here, I see a real opportunity not just to pursue my own research, but to build a group, mentor students in cryptography, and help strengthen cryptography as part of the broader security community.
What is one thing that you are most looking forward to during fall 2026
I am most looking forward to building my research group and working closely with students. I am especially excited about mentoring students who are new to cryptography, helping them grow into independent researchers, and developing projects that connect cryptographic ideas to real security and privacy problems.
What do you expect to accomplish in your first year at NJIT?
In my first year at NJIT, I hope to establish a strong foundation for my research group, begin mentoring students, and develop new collaborations within the department. More broadly, I would like my first year to set the stage for a research program that is both technically strong and connected to real security and privacy problems.
What are some hobbies and pursuits away from your profession, such as painting, playing music, biking, etc.?
Outside of work, I enjoy playing recreational poker and board games, and I am a big soccer fan! I enjoy both playing soccer and I follow the English Premier League closely. I also like going to rock concerts whenever I get the chance.
Xinying Hou joins the Department of Data Science following her tenure as a UMSI Dean’s Fellow at the University of Michigan, where she earned her Ph.D. in Information, School Information. She previously completed her Master of Educational Technology and Applied Learning Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University’s Human-Computer Interaction Institute in the School of Computer Science. Her professional experience includes work as a Ph.D. research intern at the ETS (Educational Testing Service) Research Institute in Princeton, New Jersey, with a focus on the topic of Multi-LLM Agent Architecture for Conversation-Based Assessment in K-12 Science Education.
Hou’s current research interests include AI in education, computing education, AI literacy, education data science, education technology, learning analytics, learning sciences, human-centered AI, and responsible AI.
She has won numerous Best Paper awards in premier venues, including AIED, EC-TEL, AAAI, and ACM’s CHI, among others. Her peer-reviewed publications have been featured in IJAIED: International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education [Flagship Journal of AI & Education], IJGBL: International Journal of Game-Based Learning [Flagship Journal of Educational Games] and C&E: Computers & Education [Flagship Journal of Education Technology].
Her service includes participation on workshop/tutorial committees for AI Literacy in Action: Understanding, Using, Teaching, and Creating (ISLS 2026); Growing Together: Building a Community of Graduate Student Computer Science Education Researchers (SIGCSE TS 2026); and AI Literacy for All: 1st International Workshop on AI Literacy Education for All (AIED 2025).
Learn more about Xinying Hou:
What is it about NJIT that you feel is the right “fit” for you?
I work on how technology can help people learn, especially in computing and STEM. NJIT is full of students and teachers who care about these questions, and I want to work alongside them. NJIT also has a strong culture of innovation, with support for research collaboration and plenty of exciting work already underway.
What is one thing that you are most looking forward to during fall 2026
I'm looking forward to completing the teaching of my first course here. I cannot wait to see how students use AI to tackle real-world problems through the lens of data science.
What do you expect to accomplish in your first year at NJIT?
I expect to build a research group and to secure funding that supports a sustained line of research in my research area.
What are some hobbies and pursuits away from your profession, such as painting, playing music, biking, etc.?
In my free time, I enjoy exploring cities on foot, crocheting or painting when I find a quiet hour, reading outside my field, and playing sports. Above all, I like being with my family and our dog and cat.
