Jens Grossklags, an assistant professor at Penn State’s College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST), is the first recipient of the Haile Family Early Career Professorship in Information Sciences and Technology. The fund was created to allow young faculty to direct initial energies to the classroom, establishing a commitment to teaching; provide start-up funds for new areas of research and teaching laboratories; and offer early recognition for outstanding accomplishments.

“It’s a great honor to be selected for this new endowed professorship,” Grossklags said. “The funds and recognition enable new opportunities for my research group, and are a gift that keeps on giving for the college in future years.”

Grossklags’ appointment was determined by the executive vice president and provost of the University upon the recommendation of David Hall, dean of the College of IST. The award will be granted for three years.

“This award demonstrates a belief in potential for Jens’ career moving forward,” Hall said.

Don Haile has been a long-term member of the College of IST’s Advisory Board and is the board’s current campaign chair. In this role, he guides and advises the development team as it secures philanthropic support for faculty and students. Haile and his wife, Mary, were the first members of their combined familes to receive college degrees. Don Haile reached executive level positions with IBM and Fidelity Investments, while Mary Haile taught school and raised three children.

“Don Haile’s gift, which made this award possible, holds special meaning since it represents our external partner’s commitment and vision for our college moving forward,” Hall said.

Grossklags, who received a doctorate from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2009, is affiliated with the Security and Risk Analysis (SRA) program and is a member of the steering committee of the Center for the Study of Global Financial Stability. In addition, he has been selected as a Faculty Fellow of the Institute for CyberScience. He is studying information privacy, security, technology policy and networked interactions from a theoretical and practical perspective. Specifically, Grossklags is motivated to contribute to a better understanding of the current and future marketplace for personal and corporate information, and improved designs of the underlying evolving security infrastructure.

The Haile Family Early Career Professorship is advantageous, Grossklags said, since large funding opportunities are generally sparser for younger faculty. Currently, he is working on multiple research projects that could benefit from the award.

“There are never-ending opportunities,” he said.