In the fifth episode of the video series “CASA Stories,” Yuval Yarom, Principal Investigator at CASA and Professor of Computer Security at the Faculty of Computer Science, shares insights into his career journey and daily life as a researcher. Yarom joined Ruhr University Bochum in 2023 after several years at the University of Adelaide and has since become an integral part of the CASA community.
He describes the team culture at CASA as both inspiring and collaborative. CASA, he says, is made up of people who share similar goals but pursue them in their own unique ways — and yet everything fits together seamlessly. Being part of such an environment, he adds, helps everyone grow in ways that would be hard to achieve alone. He appreciates the openness and professionalism of the team: the people are kind, the working conditions excellent, and the collaboration outstanding. His PhD students, he notes with pride, are doing excellent work. “Nothing to complain about. I wake up every morning, excited to go to the office,” he says.
In his research, Yuval Yarom explores the intersection of microarchitectural security and cryptographic code optimization. “It is a different way of thinking,” he explains. “Engineers think how to make the system do what they want. In security, we think on how to make the system do what it is not designed to do.” In addition to his research, Yarom is also a passionate teacher. In the video, he is shown in the lecture hall, clearly enjoying his interaction with students. To keep them engaged, he has come up with a creative approach: after each correctly answered question, he throws a chocolate bar into the audience. “At least this way, they have to keep an eye on where I am and what I’m doing,” he jokes. The idea is well received — this year, Yarom was honored with the Teaching Award from the Faculty of Computer Science, recognizing him as one of the students’ favorite professors.
Those interested in learning more about Yuval Yarom and his path from industry back into academia can watch the full episode of CASA Stories on YouTube.