Wright State alumnus securing the world’s inboxes

Every day, billions of emails and text messages travel the globe — confirming medical appointments, tracking packages and delivering critical information.

Wright State University graduate Medha Karri helps make sure those messages are secure, reliable and protected from cybercriminals who try to exploit them.

“I’m not the guy sending those emails, but I’m the guy who is behind making sure that those emails are sent, and the companies are the people who are actually sending you the emails,” Karri said. “I’m not the spammer. I actually work towards cutting down on all the spam.”

Karri was honored with Wright State’s 2026 Alumnus of the Year Award, which recognizes graduates who have achieved distinction in their profession or community and demonstrate integrity and positive impact.

Karri says the foundation for his work in communication security began during his time at Wright State, where he developed both technical expertise and the interpersonal skills that shape his leadership today.

Karri earned his master’s degree in computer science from Wright State, where he served as a graduate research assistant on the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory’s 2030 Science and Technology Strategy project. His work involved analyzing more than 120 million research publications to identify emerging threats and strategically important research institutions.

He credits Wright State’s hands-on research opportunities, faculty mentorship and collaborative student environment for helping him discover both his professional interests and his confidence as a leader.

“I think I learned a lot of life skills at Wright State,” he said. “It wasn’t just a place to get your degree. It’s where I learned how to talk to people from different countries, how to understand their intentions and how to communicate better with them. The friendships I built and the work I did outside academics — helping friends, collaborating on projects — all of that shaped me.”

Today, Karri is a senior product manager at Amazon Web Services, where he leads teams building secure communication systems and AI-driven anti-abuse technologies that protect users from phishing, scams, ransomware and financial fraud.

Medha Karri, who earned his master’s degree in computer science from Wright State, was honored with the university’s 2026 Alumnus of the Year Award. (Photo by Erin Pence)

He is passionate about cloud product management, software engineering, cybersecurity and mentoring the next generation of technology leaders.

He has also helped expand secure email infrastructure to data centers around the world, including Ohio’s U.S. Government Cloud Data Center and facilities in Malaysia, Zurich, Calgary and Dubai.

Prior to his current role, he worked in several technical and analytical positions, including software engineer, business analyst and systems engineer.

One of Karri’s favorite memories as a student at Wright State was spending time in the Russ Engineering Center, where students gathered between classes to collaborate, exchange ideas and build friendships.

“I would sit there with my international student friends, and we would have long conversations about technology, about the research we were working on, about our dreams for the future, about our frustrations, about the difficulty of the coursework and about what kind of impact we wanted to have in the world,” he said. “And yes, of course, a lot of Netflix and movies and shows.”

Although current students frequently reach out to him for advice on how to follow a similar path, Karri said he encourages them to focus on building strong foundations.

“Don’t underestimate foundational skills,” he said. “The university is where you build and strengthen them. I relied on a lot of resources at Wright State and people behind the scenes who pushed me to improve. Saying ‘I need help’ isn’t weakness — it’s being smart and learning from others.”

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