Dr. Swarup Bhunia, Director of the Warren B. Nelms Institute for the Connected World, has received the distinction of Distinguished Professor at the University of Florida.
One of UF’s highest faculty honors, this title is awarded to faculty members whose accomplishments have achieved national and international prominence through exceptional research, teaching, publication and service.
Dr. Bhunia’s career has been defined by innovation, mentorship, and impact in the fields of hardware security and trust, intelligent edge computing, Internet of Things (IoT) technology and applications, and low-power and robust design.
His research has sparked innovations like microelectronics hardware assurance, smart stick-and-peel wearables for personalized healthcare, spectroscopic authentication for food and medicine safety, smart systems for honeybee management and mosquito control, a hands-on hardware education platform that enables all learners to understand AI concepts, and many more.
“I am deeply honored to receive this recognition. It reflects not only my own effort, but also the dedication and support of the many outstanding students, collaborators, and colleagues I’ve had the privilege to work with. I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue advancing research and mentoring the next generation of engineers.”
– Swarup Bhunia, PhD
As the director of the Warren B. Nelms Institute for the Connected World since 2019, Dr. Bhunia has built a strong foundation for the institute by leading numerous impactful initiatives. He has driven multiple large-scale workforce development and education activities, bringing accessible hands-on AI and IoT education to learners such as K-12 students, community college students, and veterans. He has fostered leadership among undergraduate and graduate students as advisor of the IoT Students Club at UF.
One of his most impactful activities as director has been establishing the Warren B. Nelms Annual IoT Conference. Hosted at UF’s Malachowsky Hall each December, the conference brings together hundreds of participants from academia, industry, and government to discuss the latest in the world of IoT.
Dr. Bhunia holds the titles of Preeminence Professor and Semmoto Endowed Chair Professor of Internet of Things in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA. He received his B.E. (Hons.) from Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India, the M.Tech. degree from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur, and his Ph.D. from Purdue University in 2005. Previously, Dr. Bhunia served as the T. and A. Schroeder Associate Professor at Case Western Reserve University and worked in the semiconductor industry on RTL synthesis, verification, and low-power design. He has over 20 years of research and development experience, with over 350 peer-reviewed publications in journals and conferences, more than 10 authored or edited books including the first textbook on hardware and system security, and multiple patents.
Dr. Bhunia has received numerous recognitions for his pioneering research and educational activities. They include UF Research Foundation Professor (2024), IEEE Fellow (2023), IEEE Hardware Oriented Security and Test (HOST) Hall of Fame (2023) induction, UF Innovator of the Year (2022), HWCOE Doctoral Dissertation Mentoring Award (2022), UF ECE Staff Choice Award for Faculty (2022), IEEE-CS TCVLSI Distinguished Research Award (2018), ECE Research Excellence Award (2018), Research Promotion Initiative Award (2018), Herbert Wertheim Faculty Award for Excellence in Innovation (2018), IBM Faculty Award (2013), NSF CAREER Award (2011), Mike Mesarovic Award for Extraordinary Impact at Case Western Reserve University (2011), SRC Technical Excellence Award as a team member (2005), and SRC Inventor Recognition Award (2009).
The title of Distinguished Professor is another testament to his prominent and lasting contribution to research and education throughout his career. His visionary leadership and dedication have not only advanced the field of connected and intelligent systems, but have also enabled the Warren B. Nelms Institute to flourish. We look forward to witnessing the enduring impact of his work both within the University of Florida and in the community.