Dr. Thomas Sewell

Assistant Professor

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Biography

Thomas Sewell is a lecturer in the School of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of New South Wales. He is an expert in software verification, having worked in the field since 2006. Throughout his career, he has contributed to significant verification projects, including the seL4 verified microkernel and the CakeML verified compiler, both of which represent major milestones in the domain of verified software. Thomas completed his PhD at UNSW, focusing on binary analysis of seL4, from 2013 to 2017. Following his doctoral studies, he held a postdoctoral position at Chalmers University in Sweden from 2018 to 2020, where his research centered on dynamic evaluation in the CakeML environment. He then joined Cambridge University in the UK, working on CPU security proofs and proof systems for the C programming language until 2024. Returning to UNSW, he rejoined the Trustworthy Systems group, focusing on the Pancake language, which is part of the CakeML family, along with proofs for systems running on seL4. Thomas is a proficient user of the Isabelle/HOL theorem prover and the HOL4 system, employing SMT-based approaches in his research. He teaches various topics including theorem proving and programming language semantics.

Research Interests

Experience

Lecturer

2024-01-01 — Present

University of New South Wales • Sydney, Australia

Teaching and conducting research in software verification and programming languages.

Postdoctoral Researcher

2018-01-01 — 2020-01-01

Chalmers University • Sweden

Researching dynamic evaluation within the CakeML environment.

Researcher

2020-01-01 — 2024-01-01

Cambridge University • UK

Working on CPU security proofs and proof systems for the C programming language.

Researcher

2006-01-01 — 2012-01-01

NICTA • Sydney, Australia

Contributed to the seL4 verified microkernel and CakeML projects.

Awards

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ACM Software Systems award

2022-01-01
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ACM SIGOPS Hall of Fame award

2019-01-01
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CORE John Makepeace Bennett Award

2019-01-01

Requirements for University of New South Wales

Master Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
IELTS
Listening
Required:6
Reading
Required:6
Writing
Required:6
Speaking
Required:6
Overall
Required:6.5
TOEFL
Listening
Required:23
Reading
Required:23
Writing
Required:23
Speaking
Required:23
Total
Required:90
PTE
Listening
Required:54
Reading
Required:54
Writing
Required:54
Speaking
Required:54
Overall
Required:64
Prerequisites
Recognised Bachelor degree Minimum 1 year relevant work experience for certain streams
Application Checklist
  • Academic Transcripts
  • Proof of English Language Proficiency
  • Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  • Personal Statement
  • Copy of Passport
Specialization Notes

Includes Business Intelligence, Enterprise Systems, and Cybersecurity Management streams.