Chang-Hong Hsu Selected for Chia-Lun Lo Fellowship

Chang-Hong Hsu, a graduate student in the Computer Science and Engineering program, has received a Chia-Lun Lo Fellowship for 2013-14. Chang-Hong is currently a second-year Ph.D. student working with Professor Valeria Bertacco.

Chang-Hong’s research focuses on developing solutions to ensure the correctness and reliability of modern microprocessors. While shrinking transistor sizes with each technology node has allowed designers to fit more transistors into the same chip area and thus to develop more complex micro-architectural features, more design errors are introduced into circuits. Users of such microprocessors not only suffer from an unreliable computing environment, but might also become exposed to various kinds of security threats ranging from denial of service to privacy leakage. For this reason, Chang-Hong is designing mechanisms that not only disclose the vulnerabilities in microprocessors, but which also prevent the microprocessors from suffering from all of these risks. In a previous project, he studied a high-performance processor validation mechanism using acceleration platforms to identify abnormal executions of microprocessors. In the future, he plans to investigate more versatile bug-detection and self-protection mechanisms in microprocessors with the aim of helping to create a safer and more reliable computing environment.

The Chia-Lun Lo Fellowship assists assists outstanding students in Rackham programs who have earned a previous degree from a university in Taiwan and who may be ineligible for other kinds of support because of citizenship. To be eligible, international graduate students must have successfully completed one year of graduate study as a master’s or precandidate student. Nominees must have a strong academic record, be making good progress toward the degree, and demonstrate outstanding academic and professional promise.