Grad student wins award at global blockchain event

A graduate student at Waterloo Engineering was recently recognized for his work at a virtual conference for experts in the blockchain field.

Behkish Nassirzadeh, who is doing a master’s degree in computer engineering under the supervision of Professor Vijay Ganesh, won the award for innovation at the UBRI (University Blockchain Research Initiative) Connect 2020 event hosted by technology company Ripple.

“This is an extraordinary student who is currently developing a very innovative program analysis tool for detecting security vulnerabilities and attacks in smart contracts,” said Lauren Weymouth, a senior manager at Ripple.

Ripple is collaborating with leading universities around the world, including the University of Waterloo, to support and accelerate academic research, technical development and innovation in blockchain, cryptocurrency and digital payments.