How one professor is making privacy accessible — and teaching students to do the same
Primal Pappachan has a way of making privacy feel immediate. It's not just an abstract concept or a technical problem to solve; privacy is something that shapes how people interact with the systems around them — from smartphone apps to smart buildings. As an assistant professor in Maseeh College's Computer Science Department, Pappachan leads the Database & Internet Privacy (DIPr) Lab, where he and his students explore how to give people control over their data while keeping systems efficient and usable.
His deep admiration for nature is reflected in the lab's acronym, pronounced "Dipper," and its logo, inspired by both an aquatic songbird and the constellation — a reminder that privacy, like nature, requires both beauty and resilience.
It's clear that Pappachan's work is rooted in a deep sense of fairness — one that extends beyond his research to his teaching and mentoring. At Portland State, he's found a community of students who challenge his thinking as much as he challenges theirs.
The goal is to make privacy the path of least resistance. It shouldn’t be something people have to struggle for—it should be built in.
From Problem-Solving to Privacy Research
Pappachan grew up in Kerala, India, in a household where education was ever-present. His mother taught school, his father gave lectures, and conversations often revolved around ideas. Even so, his career in privacy research wasn't something he planned.
"I didn't always know I wanted to do this," he admits. "The more I tried to research, the more I liked it. And so far, there's still so much I want to explore."
When he first started studying computer science, he saw it primarily as coding. That changed during his undergraduate studies when he was selected for Google Summer of Code, a global program focused on open source software development. While working on a mobile application, he was surprised to find that many mobile app tools offered little privacy protection for users. This discovery sparked a curiosity that would shape his career.
His interest deepened during a project with a University of Toronto researcher, where he realized that research could be creative and open-ended. "It wasn't just about building something — it was about asking questions that didn't have obvious answers," he remembers.
After earning his Ph.D. at the University of California, Irvine, where he created systems to help people manage privacy in smart buildings, Pappachan joined Portland State. His research now focuses on policy-aware data processing — a method that ensures users can decide how and when their data is shared.
"If someone wants to run a query about room occupancy, users should be able to decide whether their data is included in that query," he explains. His work centers on building systems that make this kind of control possible without slowing down the technology people rely on.
Where Research Meets Real Life
Part of what drives Pappachan's work is the way privacy issues show up in everyday life — often in ways you might not expect. He recalls teaching a winter lecture in a PSU building when the windows suddenly started opening and closing on their own.
"It was January, and students were sitting there freezing," he says. "The windows were controlled by sensors, and no one had any input. The system was just doing its thing."
For Pappachan, this moment sums up why privacy and transparency matter. Today's "smart" buildings often have cameras, microphones, and myriad sensors collecting data. "If you don't know what decisions a system is making — or why — it's hard to trust it," he says. His research aims to fix that, creating systems that give people more control over how their data is used.
But this kind of work isn't simple. Organizations often assume that privacy measures will slow down their systems or make them less competitive. However, with newer privacy regulations like the Oregon Consumer Privacy Act emerging in various states, organizations increasingly must incorporate privacy into their systems. Pappachan sees this as both promising and necessary.
"The goal is to make privacy the path of least resistance," he says. "It shouldn't be something people have to fight for — it should be built in."
Building a Privacy-Focused Community
At the DIPr Lab, Pappachan and his students tackle different aspects of this challenge. Ph.D. students Anadi Shakya and Lakshmi Yalarmarthi explore how to make systems faster at answering questions while following privacy rules, both in traditional databases and vector databases used in AI and Large Language Models. Master's student Dylan Conklin develops an app to identify which Bluetooth devices nearby could be used for malicious purposes like stalking.
In just two years at PSU, the lab has grown steadily with Ph.D., M.S., and undergraduate students. Pappachan has created a unique lab culture, complete with an open-source wiki documenting mentor and mentee expectations, and monthly celebrations where students can share news — acceptances, rejections, or birthdays — over snacks.
"Progress isn't always linear — every rejection is part of the journey," he explains. "Celebrating rejections or failures helps normalize them."
Teaching and Mentoring
For all his technical expertise, Pappachan's favorite part of his job is teaching. He's quick to point out that his students bring a range of experiences and perspectives that make every class unique.
"PSU has such a diverse student body," he says. "Some students are working full-time, some come from other countries, some are parents, and some are the first in their families to go to college. That mix of backgrounds makes for such interesting discussions."
He recalls one student, Tina McCominsky, who surprised him with her creativity. "She came to me with a passion for both art and privacy, and we started talking about how to combine the two," he says. The result was a project that used comics and games to teach kids about internet safety. "It wasn't something I would have thought of on my own. But seeing her take the idea and run with it was amazing."
Pappachan's commitment to broadening participation in privacy research extends beyond his own students. He mentors students from the Undergraduate Research and Mentoring Program (URMP), has guided a high school intern through the Institute for Computing Research, and served as the privacy instructor for CyberPDX, a residential summer STEAM camp for Indigenous high school students. He also co-organizes weekly Database Reading Group meetings with fellow computer science professor Dave Maier, open to students and the public.
"Every student is different," he says. "Some come in with a clear idea of what they want to do, and others are still figuring it out. My job is to help them explore, not to hand them a roadmap."
What Makes PSU Stand Out
Pappachan credits Portland State's culture of openness and collaboration as one of the reasons he enjoys teaching there. He remembers being struck by the honesty of the students he met during his job interview.
"They weren't shy about telling me what they thought," he says. "They told me what they liked about the department and what they thought could improve. That kind of honesty is rare, and it made me feel like this was a place where I could grow."
Since joining the faculty, he's found that same openness in his interactions with students and colleagues. It's an environment that values meaningful conversations and encourages experimentation — qualities that align closely with his own approach to teaching and research.
"I don't want my students to be passive learners," he says. "If something doesn't make sense to them, I want them to speak up. That's how we all learn."
Looking Ahead
For Pappachan, privacy is a moving target. Technology changes quickly, and the systems we rely on today may look very different a decade from now. But one thing remains constant: the need for people who think critically about the role of technology in society.
"Privacy isn't just a technical problem," he says. "It's about ethics, trust, and giving people control over their lives."
Through his work at PSU's Maseeh College, Pappachan is helping students and researchers ask questions that push the boundaries of what's possible, while keeping people at the center.