This article is published in the March 2025 issue.

Carl Landwehr Wins the 2025 CRA Distinguished Service Award

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By Matt Hazenbush, Director of Communications

The Computing Research Association (CRA) Board of Directors has selected Carl Landwehr — an independent consultant who has held positions at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), the National Science Foundation (NSF), the University of Michigan, and the Cyber Security & Privacy Research Institute at The George Washington University — as the recipient of the 2025 CRA Distinguished Service Award. This honor recognizes his pioneering contributions to cybersecurity research and his leadership in shaping national research programs.

Through decades of dedicated service in academia, government, and professional societies, Landwehr has been instrumental in establishing cybersecurity as a scientific discipline and advancing computing research. His vision and leadership have left a lasting mark on the field, helping to secure vital national infrastructure and guiding the evolution of security-focused research initiatives.

“From the vantage point of 2025, it is hard to believe that NSF did not have a dedicated program in security in the early 2000s — yet it did not. Carl created it. The vision of trustworthy computing, which lies at the foundation of NSF’s support of cybersecurity, is Carl Landwehr’s.”
– Susan Landau, Professor of Cyber Security and Policy, Tufts University

“Before Carl appeared on this scene, computer security research was receiving only sporadic funding, and it was from DoD. The need for civilian-focused cybersecurity research and to have work done outside of the classified community was not widely accepted. Carl gets a big share of the credit for orchestrating that change — providing vision, making the arguments for resources, and implementing those visions at several stages of the community’s evolution.”
– Fred B. Schneider, Samuel B. Eckert Professor of Computer Science, Cornell University

“Carl’s leadership in creating and growing the cybersecurity field has largely created the academic field of today. He has consistently been ahead of his peers in identifying things that needed attention, be they creation of the NSF interdisciplinary research programs, the ‘building code’ workshops, IEEE Security & Privacy Magazine, and cybersecurity for future presidents.”

– Jeremy Epstein, Co-Director, Institute for Cybersecurity and Resilient Infrastructure Studies (ICARIS), Georgia Tech Research Institute and Adjunct Professor of Cybersecurity, Georgia Tech

Reflecting on the honor, Landwehr shared:

“I am surprised and humbled by this recognition. Contributing to the growth of cybersecurity and computing research has been a deeply rewarding journey, and I’m grateful for the chance to have played a role in shaping programs and initiatives that have had a lasting impact.”

A Career of Transformative Service

Landwehr has dedicated his career to strengthening cybersecurity research and policy, leading initiatives that have established cybersecurity as a core discipline within computing research. 

His contributions include:

  • Helped Establish NSF’s First Cybersecurity Research Program: As the architect of what is now Security, Privacy, and Trust in Cyberspace (SaTC 2.0), Landwehr created a lasting infrastructure for cybersecurity research, supporting thousands of faculty and students over the years.
  • Shaping U.S. Cybersecurity Research Strategy: Through his leadership at NRL, NSF, and IARPA — as well as his work as a consultant with DARPA and NSA — he played a crucial role in advancing accountable information flows, software security, and secure networking infrastructure.
  • Promoting Cybersecurity as a Science: Landwehr championed a methodological approach to security research, ensuring that cybersecurity evolved into a rigorous scientific field.
  • Advancing Cybersecurity Education: His “Cybersecurity for Future Presidents” course has influenced cybersecurity education, making security concepts accessible to policymakers and industry leaders.
  • Expanding Cybersecurity Discourse: As Editor-in-Chief of IEEE Security & Privacy magazine, he helped build the publication into a leading resource in the field, ensuring broad dissemination of security research. More recently, he served as a contributing editor for the Communications of the ACM (CACM) Security and Privacy Viewpoints section.

About the Award

The CRA Distinguished Service Award recognizes individuals who have made outstanding service contributions to the computing research community in government affairs, professional societies, publications, conferences, and leadership.

The CRA Committee on Awards – Selection is responsible for reviewing nominations and recommending recipients for the CRA Distinguished Service Award. Final recommendations are presented to the CRA Board of Directors, which votes on the awardees at its February Board meeting.

Recognizing a Cybersecurity Trailblazer

Please join CRA in celebrating Carl Landwehr’s exceptional contributions to computing research. If you’ve worked with him or benefited from his leadership, consider sharing this announcement on LinkedIn and reflecting on how his work has shaped the field.