Monika Polak

Monika Polak

  • Assistant Professor of Computer Science (Instruction)

PhD, University of Maria Curie-Sklodowska

2201 Wegmans Hall
mpolak@cs.rochester.edu

Website


Biography

Monika earned her doctoral degree in Mathematics with honors from the University of Maria Curie Sklodowska in Lublin, Poland, in 2016. Under the guidance of her faculty advisor Professor Vasyl Ustimenko, Monika’s dissertation “On the Applications of Algebraic Graph Theory to Coding”, explored subjects such as algebraic geometry, coding, and cryptography. In 2017 Monika worked as an Assistant Professor at the University of Information Science and Technology in Ohrid, FYROM Macedonia.  After working in Macedonia, Monika then came to Rochester where she joined the ranks of Rochester Institute of Technology’s (RIT) Computer Science department. Here she worked as a Lecturer from 2017 to 2023 where she was eventually promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2023. While at RIT, Monika was involved in many services that focused on broadening participation in computing activities. She also worked together with fellow RIT colleagues Professor Stanislaw Radziszowski and Professor Thomas Borelli to help develop and launch a new Post-Quantum Cryptography course. Monika has experience in teaching introductory computer science, computer science theory and cryptography courses.

Google Scholar Citations

 

Research Overview

Research Interests

  • Cryptography
  • Quantum-Resistant Cryptography
  • Algebraic Graph Theory
  • Extremal Graph Theory
  • Pseudorandomness
  • Coding Theory