Elisa Bertino elected as ACM President
06-08-2026
Samuel D. Conte Professor, Elisa Bertino
Purdue Computer Science Professor Elisa Bertino has been elected president of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), the world's largest educational and scientific computing society. Bertino, the Samuel D. Conte Distinguished Professor of Computer Science, will begin her two-year term as ACM president on July 1, 2026.
A globally recognized leader in cybersecurity, privacy, and data protection, Bertino has spent more than four decades advancing information and systems security. Her pioneering research has shaped the fields of access control, privacy-preserving technologies, digital identity management, secure database systems, and security for emerging technologies such as the Internet of Things. In addition to her research contributions, she is widely recognized for broadening participation in computing through professional leadership and mentoring.
Since joining Purdue in 2004, Bertino has played a key role in strengthening the university's legacy as a leader in cybersecurity research and education. She served as research director of the Center for Education and Research in Information Assurance and Security (CERIAS) and, in 2024, was named the Samuel D. Conte Distinguished Professor of Computer Science, one of Purdue's highest faculty honors.
“It is a privilege to lead ACM at a pivotal moment for computing,” says Bertino. “As advances in AI, cybersecurity, data science, and emerging technologies accelerate, ACM has a critical role to play in fostering innovation, supporting education and professional development, and ensuring that computing advances responsibly and inclusively. I am excited to work with the ACM community to help shape the future of our field.”
Bertino has a long history of service to ACM. She currently serves as ACM vice president and previously served as secretary/treasurer and chair of the ACM Special Interest Group on Security, Audit and Control (SIGSAC). She also co-founded the ACM Conference on Data and Application Security and Privacy (CODASPY), which has become a leading forum for research in data security and privacy.
An ACM Fellow, IEEE Fellow, and AAAS Fellow, Bertino has received numerous honors throughout her career, including the ACM Athena Lecturer Award, the ACM SIGSAC Outstanding Contributions Award, the IEEE Innovation in Societal Infrastructure Award, and the IEEE Computer Society Tsutomu Kanai Award.
As ACM president, Bertino plans to strengthen the organization's role as a trusted global voice in computing, support early-career researchers and educators through enhanced mentorship opportunities, promote sustainable and equitable access to research, and expand ACM's reach across regions and cultures.
About the Department of Computer Science at Purdue University
Founded in 1962, the Department of Computer Science was created to be an innovative base of knowledge in the emerging field of computing as the first degree-awarding program in the United States. The department continues to advance the computer science industry through research. U.S. News & World Report ranks the department No. 16 and No. 19 overall in undergraduate and graduate computer science, respectively. Graduates of the program are able to solve complex and challenging problems in many fields. Our consistent success in an ever-changing landscape is reflected in the record undergraduate enrollment, increased faculty hiring, innovative research projects, and the creation of new academic programs. Learn more at cs.purdue.edu.