Yuliang Zheng, Ph.D., professor and chair in the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Computer Science, has been awarded the prestigious Ireland Award for Scholarly Distinction for 2026. The annual award—endowed by Caroline P. and Charles W. Ireland—recognizes a CAS faculty member whose research and scholarship are of the highest caliber.
I am deeply honored and humbled to receive this recognition. It is especially meaningful to join the distinguished ranks of world-class scholars whose groundbreaking achievements have earned this award in the past. I am grateful to my colleagues, collaborators and students whose support has made this achievement possible.
The 2026 award selection committee, comprised of faculty members and past Ireland Award recipients within the College, highlighted Zheng’s many accomplishments during his 11 years at UAB, including his international leadership in cybersecurity and cryptography advancements, and inventions which have crucially advanced the industry and opened up new fields of research for others.
Zheng is known as the father of the signcryption technology, an ISO international standard for data security. As one of his nomination letters explained, “Apple, Inc. adopted signcryption-based technologies within its iMessage architecture, providing end-to-end, secure communications for billions of users. This deployment of university-developed cryptographic invention is a great example of academic research translating into a technology which benefits everyone.”
In 2024, Zheng’s invention of the redactable digital signature became the second international standard derived from his research, further demonstrating the global impact and practical significance of his pioneering contributions to cybersecurity.
The selection committee also cited Zheng’s extraordinary research output with over 240 articles, many books, many patents, and millions of dollars in research funding, as well as his demonstrated commitment to expanding options for students, including development of new degree pathways and vocational tracks. Most recently, Zheng led the development of the newly renamed M.S. in Artificial Intelligence program and a suite of introductory AI courses for non-majors, both central to the department’s strategy of ensuring every Computer Science student graduates "AI-ready," while centering responsible and value-oriented AI adoption.
Zheng has a record of generous interdisciplinary collaboration at all levels, from curriculum development and research supervision to the UAB SUCCESS Initiative and AI Strategic Initiative, a quality perhaps best summed up by one nominating colleague: “Zheng has built partnerships across UAB involving engineering, medicine, public health, business, mathematics, criminal justice, psychology, biology and many other disciplines.”
“Dr. Zheng’s contributions to the field of computer science cannot be overstated,” said Yogesh K. Vohra, Ph.D., interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “As artificial intelligence continues to reshape the way we live and work, Dr. Zheng and his computer science colleagues are continuously striving to update course offerings for UAB students. His leadership of UAB’s master’s program in cyber security, which earned a No. 1 national ranking in recent years, is just one example of the impact he has had on our students, our university and the broader field.”
Zheng plays a prominent leadership role in the international research community, having co-founded the annual International Conference on Public Key Cryptography (PKC). As Chair of the conference’s Steering Committee, he has been instrumental in guiding its growth and development, helping establish PKC as one of the premier conferences sponsored by the International Association for Cryptologic Research.
In addition, he served as an associate editor of The Computer Journal published by Oxford University Press and is on the steering committees for a number of research and industrial forums including Information Security Conference, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Information Assurance Standards Committee, and Workshop on Long-Term/Information-Theoretic Security.
This recognition reflects not only individual achievement, but also UAB’s distinctive culture of supporting world-class research and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration in both scholarship and education. I remain deeply committed to nurturing exceptional young talent and am excited to continue helping the next generation of researchers advance the frontiers of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity for years to come.
Dr. Zheng earned his Bachelor of Science degree with highest distinction in computer science from the Nanjing Institute of Technology in 1982. He then won a prestigious young researcher’s award from the Ministry of Education for studies at Yokohama National University in Japan, where he earned his master’s and Ph.D. He also participated in a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Australian Defence Force Academy.
The College will honor Zheng with a reception and dinner in November.
