Pankaj is a doctoral candidate in Computer Science at William & Mary, where he works in the Extending Trust in Computing Lab (etclab) under Dr. Stephen Herwig. His research focuses on privacy-enhancing technologies, confidential computing, and applied cryptography—driven by a core conviction that privacy-by-default should be the path of least resistance for developers and organizations. He has co-authored peer-reviewed work on post-compromise security for cloud storage and zero-trust architectures, appearing in PoPETs 2025 and EuroSec 2025. Prior to his doctoral studies, Pankaj co-founded Eydean Inc. in Nepal and taught computer science at King’s College Nepal and Herald College Kathmandu, experiences that developed his ability to translate technical concepts for diverse audiences and navigate stakeholder interests. As a builder, researcher, and community member, he is committed to finding practical ways to make privacy-by-default a reality through tools, infrastructure, and policy. This drives his interest in state-level technology policy, where he is eager to bring his technical perspective to Virginia’s policy challenges through the COVES Fellowship.