Dr. Yuan Cheng joined the University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC) as an assistant professor in April 2025. Previously, he was an associate professor in the College of Computing at Grand Valley State University and in the Department of Computer Science at California State University, Sacramento, where he earned tenure in 2022. Before his tenure at Sac State, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute for Cyber Security at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). He received his Ph.D. in Computer Science from UTSA under the supervision of Dr. Ravi Sandhu and Dr. Jaehong Park. He also holds a B.Eng. degree in Information Security from Huazhong University of Science and Technology. Dr. Cheng teaches a variety of computer science and cybersecurity courses, including Operating Systems, Computer Networks, Compilers, Computer Security, Network Security, and Information Security Principles. His research focuses on enhancing security and privacy with a strong emphasis on usability in real-world systems. Raised in Ningbo, Zhejiang, his native tongue is the Chinese dialect of Wu.

My research addresses critical challenges in security and privacy, with a particular emphasis on access control and authentication. I strive to develop solutions that not only strengthen security but also improve usability in real-world applications.