CSC News

William Enck Named Goodnight Distinguished Professor in Security Sciences

William Enck has been named the Goodnight Distinguished Professor in Security Sciences at North Carolina State University’s College of Engineering.

Enck has been a faculty member in the Department of Computer Science since 2011. In his 20 years of research on systems security and mobile device security, his work has helped shape innovation, increased consumer awareness of security needs and led to changes to platforms that improve their security.

“I am deeply honored to be named a Goodnight Distinguished Professor in Security Sciences,” he said. “My career has been devoted to enhancing the security and privacy of computing systems, providing both foundational academic contributions and significant broader impact to society.

“This generous investment by the Goodnights will further support my mission by seeding research investigation into new areas, expanding research infrastructure and creating new undergraduate and graduate education experiences,” he continued.

In addition to being the co-director of the Secure Computing Institute, director of the Wolfpack Security and Privacy Research Laboratory and a member of the Secure Software Supply Chain Center, Enck does extensive research in the broad area of systems security with applications to the software supply chain, 5G and cloud infrastructure, mobile platforms, Internet of Things (IoT) and networks.

Enck earned his B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. in computer science and engineering from the Pennsylvania State University in 2004, 2006 and 2011, respectively. His 124 publications, including journal articles, chapters and more, have been cited 15,858 times and have an h-index of 41 and an i-10 index of 76.

“We are grateful to the Goodnights for their generosity and support of faculty,” said Jim Pfaendtner, the Louis Martin-Vega Dean of Engineering. “Dr. Enck is well deserving of this honor. It’s a testament to his scholarship, innovation and unwavering commitment to excellence.”

“We are tremendously excited about Dr. Enck receiving this Distinguished Professorship,” said Gregg Rothermel, head of the Department of Computer Science and Distinguished University Professor. “In addition to the message this sends about Dr. Enck’s work and its impact, it also speaks to the impact the department has been able to have on its faculty, including the support and mentoring provided by senior faculty over the years. Thus, this is a success story about Dr. Enck, and it’s a success story about the entire department.”

The Goodnight Distinguished Professor in Security Sciences position would not be possible without the generous donations of NC State alumni Dr. James and Mrs. Ann Goodnight.

Dr. Goodnight – the CEO and founder of SAS – earned his B.S. in applied mathematics in 1965, his M.S. and doctorate in statistics in 1968 and 1972, respectively, and the university conferred an honorary degree to him in 2002. Mrs. Goodnight earned her B.A. in political science in 1968 and works as the senior director of community relations at SAS. The Goodnights have received numerous university honors, including the Watauga Medal (Dr. Goodnight in 2002 and Mrs. Goodnight in 2024) and the Menscer Cup (2007). Mrs. Goodnight’s leadership roles include serving on the Board of Trustees and as a founding member of Wolfpack Women in Philanthropy at NC State.

The Goodnights support approximately 400 North Carolina students each year through the Goodnight Scholarships program, which they established in 2008 and expanded in 2017 to include transfer students from the state’s community colleges. The Goodnights also have generously strengthened centers, programs and additional scholarship opportunities across NC State. Their commitment to faculty excellence has resulted in the creation of named faculty positions, including a deanship, as well as a program to invest in early-career faculty and support for additional endowed professorship funds. In 2022, the Goodnights increased their support to include graduate students, creating the Goodnight Doctoral Fellows for Ph.D. candidates in STEM and education.

Adapted for the NC State Department of Computer Science, original article by Nicole Zelniker, College of Engineering News