Faculty
- Forno, Richard F.
- Clark, Robert W.
- Colombel, Pierre
- Coman, Daniela
- Getek, Ryan C.
- Herrod, Chrisan
- Huhn, Michael S.
- Kinney, Albert
- Nicholas, Charles K.
- Owen, Cathleeen
- Pickard, WIlliam
- Rasch, Mark
- Shariati, Ben
- Smyre-Deloatch, Christina
- Thompson, Terry L.
- Waddell, William
- Williams, Tina C.
Lecturer & Graduate Program Director, Cybersecurity
Assistant Director, UMBC Center for Cybersecurity
Ph.D., Curtin University of Technology
M.A., Salve Regina University
Graduate Certificate (National Security & Strategic Studies) US Naval War College
B.A., American University
Richard Forno, Graduate Program Director of the Cybersecurity Program at UMBC, has 20+ years of experience in government, military, and private sector, including helping to build the first formal cybersecurity program for the U.S. House of Representatives, serving as the first Chief Security Officer for at Network Solutions (operator of the InterNIC), and co-founding the Maryland Cyber Challenge. Dr. Forno was also one of the early thought leaders on the subject of “information warfare” and he remains a longtime commentator on the influence of Internet technology upon society.
In addition to teaching cybersecurity at UMBC, Dr. Forno has lectured on information security, information warfare, and infrastructure protection at American University, and the National Defense University in Washington D.C. He is an affiliate of the Stanford Center for Internet and Society (CIS) and and from 2005-12 was a Visiting Scientist at the Software Engineering Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, serving as an instructor for the CERT Coordination Center.
His interdisciplinary research and professional interests include information age conflict, cybersecurity operations, risk communication, and the social shaping of technology — specifically, issues related to resiliency and autonomy in networked societies. In addition to many articles and commentaries over the years, he is the co-author of O’Reilly’s Incident Response (2001). Dr. Forno holds a Ph.D. in Internet Studies from Curtin University of Technology in Australia.
Robert W. Clark, J.D.
Adjunct Instructor, Cybersecurity
L.L.M., The Judge Advocate General's School, United States Army
J.D., Michigan State University College of Law
B.G.S., University of Michigan
Robert Clark is currently the Cyber Operations Legal Advisor with the U.S. Army Cyber Command at Fort Belvoir, VA. Through this position, Mr. Clark advises Commander and staff on all legal matters relating to full spectrum cyberspace operations and information operations. Prior to this position, he worked in the Department of Homeland Security in the Office of Cybersecurity and Communications and the National Protection and Programs Division, and with the Department of the Navy as the Chief Information Officer.
Mr. Clark received his J.D. at the Michigan State University College of Law. He is a member of the State Bar of Michigan, the U.S. Court for the Eastern District of Michigan and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces. He has received many Military Awards and has presented at conferences and summits across the nation.
Pierre A. Colombel, II, CISSP, CEH, CHFI, PMP
Adjunct Instructor, Cybersecurity
M.S, George Washington University
B.S. UMBC
B.A. UMBC
Daniela Coman, CSSLP
Adjunct Instructor, Cybersecurity
M.S., Capitol College, MD
B.S., Alexandru Ioan Cuza University
CISSP and CSSLP certified
Ryan C. Getek, Ph.D. CISSP-ISSEP
Adjunct Instructor, Cybersecurity
Ph.D., UMBC
M.S., UMBC
MS., UNC Charlotte
BSBA, Appalachian State University
Ryan Getek, a UMBC adjunct instructor since 2011, has worked in a variety of information assurance positions with the Department of Defense since 2005. He is a certified CISSP, ISSEP, A+ and Network+.
Dr. Getek received his B.S. in Computer Information Systems from Appalachian State University, a M.S. in Information Technology from UNC Charlotte, a M.S. in Information Systems from UMBC, and his Ph.D. in Information Systems from UMBC.
Chrisan Herrod, CISM
Adjunct Instructor, Cybersecurity
D.Sc., (Candidate), University of Fairfax
M.S., National Defense University
B.A., Pennsylvania State University
Chrisan Herrod is an Associate Professor teaching courses in Cyber Security and Information Assurance at UMUC. She also works full time for the University as the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). Previously Ms. Herrod was the Chief Security Officer for the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and was responsible for information security, business continuity, privacy, and regulatory compliance programs.
Prior to the SEC she worked for the National Defense University, serving as Department Chair and Professor at the Information Resource Management College for the Information Security and Assurance Directorate. Her previous career experience includes Director of Global IT Risk Management for GlaxoSmithKline(GSK), and Director of IT Security for Fannie Mae. She is a retired US Air Force Intelligence Officer and also served for 9 years in the US Army.
Michael S. Huhn, CISSP, ISSEP
Adjunct Instructor, Cybersecurity
M.S., University of Southern California
B.S., Shippensburg University
Michael Huhn has 40+ years of experience in information security and systems development in both private and government industries. Mr. Huhn has worked at the senior-level on projects incorporating information systems security engineering, risk assessment, and certification testing. Additionally, he worked with programming, system engineering, system testing, and configuration management. Prior to this experience, Mr. Huhn was a Non-Commissioned Officer in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War.
Mr. Huhn received his B.S. in Secondary Education from Shippensburg University and his M.S. in Systems Management from the University of Southern California. He is CISSP and ISSEP certified and has held an extra class FCC amateur radio operator license since 1962. In his spare time, he is a soccer referee through USSF.
Albert Kinney
Adjunct Instructor, Cybersecurity
M.S., Naval Postgraduate School
B.S., United States Naval Academy
Al Kinney, who has been with UMBC as an adjunct instructor since 2009, is the Director of Cybersecurity Capabilities U.S. Public Sector at HP Enterprise Services (HPES). In this capacity, Mr. Kinney is responsible for development, marketing, and delivery of Identity Management, Software Assurance, and Cyber Situational Awareness services across federal, state & local, and selected international markets. He also serves as a key Subject Matter Expert responsible for industry awareness, client interaction, and oversight of HPES business, marketing, and investment strategies supporting broader development of HP's cybersecurity services and capabilities. Mr. Kinney has held a number of leadership and management positions including executive functions in government, military, and commercial enterprise organizations.
Mr. Kinney holds a Command & Staff Diploma from the Naval War College along with a M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy and the Naval Postgraduate School. He remains active in the academic community as a member of the University of Maryland Baltimore County Cyber Security Advisory Board and as an adjunct professor within the Johns Hopkins University Whiting School of Engineering.
You can view Mr. Kinney’s public LinkedIn profile here.
Charles K. Nicholas, Ph.D.
Professor, Computer Science (Faculty Advisor, UMBC CyberDawgs)
Ph.D., Ohio State
M.S., Ohio State
B.S., University of Michigan - Flint
Dr. Nicholas's research interests include document engineering, information retrieval, malware analysis, and computing in the humanities.
Cathleen Owen, J.D.
Adjunct Instructor, Cybersecurity
J.D., University of Maryland Baltimore Law School
B.A., Ohio State University (w/honors)
Graduate Certificate (Information & Telecommunications Systems), Johns Hopkins University
Cathleen Owen, who has over 25 years of experience in the National Security Agency, was recently named the Deputy Associate General Counsel for Information Assurance and Cyber Security. As the lead cyber attorney for NSA, Ms. Owen ensures cyber operational activities are in compliance with legal and regulatory requirements by providing authoritative legal advice and training to a client set of thousands. Additionally, she collaborates with other national agencies to shape the legal processes and review of technology and cyber operations. Prior to this position, she held the Office of General Counsel, Intelligence Operations Attorney, and Program Director.
Ms. Owen received her B.A. in Chinese from The Ohio State University and her J.D. from the University of Maryland, Baltimore Law School. She is a member of the Maryland State Bar. She has co-authored training for cyber threat operators on relevant law and procedures, provided that training to hundreds of cyber threat operations operators before assisting in converting the training to an on-line course. Additionally, she has also developed unique training for intelligence operators on relevant law and procedures and provides such trainings to hundreds of intelligence operators.
William Pickard has been teaching with UMBC since 2012. As a Principal at Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc., Mr. Pickard’s current business focus is providing Cyber expertise to the Department of Defense (DOD) His primary clients are the United States Cyber Command (USCC), the Navy’s U.S. Fleet Cyber Command/U.S. Tenth Fleet which includes Marine Forces Cyber Command (MARFORCYBER), and the Army’s ARCYBER/2nd Army. Previously, he was a Special Technical Operations Planner in support of the Joint Task Force for Computer Network Defense (JTF-CND) at the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) and assigned to the Information Operations Technology Center (IOTC) at Fort Meade. Mr. Pickard also has over 22 years of operational experience in the United States Army.
Mr. Pickard holds a Master of Science in Information and Telecommunications Systems from Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor of Arts in International Politics from The Pennsylvania State University. He has taught at Loyola College and conducted training seminars with NSA and Booz Allen.
You can view Mr. Pickard’s public LinkedIn Profile here.
Mark D. Rasch, J.D.
Adjunct Instructor, Cybersecurity
J.D., State University of New York Buffalo Law School
B.A., State University of New York at Albany
Mark's professional expertise includes national and international intellectual property protection, information security, privacy, business continuity, computer forensics, regulatory compliance and computer incident response. During the 1990s, he established DOJ’s initial computer crime unit (now CCIPS), established federal cyber evidence standards, and served as lead counsel in the historic Cornell University "Internet" computer worm case.
Ben Shariati
Adjunct Instructor, Cybersecurity
Ph.D. Candidate, George Washington University
Graduate Certificate in Information Security, George Washington University
M.S. George Washington University
CNSS 4011 Certified
Ben Shariati is a technology and business executive with over 20 years of experience, specializing in international organizations. Currently, Mr. Shariati is the Director of INFOSEC at SEATEC, Inc. in Gaithersburg, MD. In this role, he provides executive leadership and is responsible for all aspects of strategic IT planning, implementation and support worldwide as an integral component of business plan. Prior to this position, Mr. Shariati was the Manager of End-User Technology at Barents KPMG in Washington, D.C. and a Systems Specialist at NCSI in Rockville, MD.
Mr. Shariati received his M.S. in Engineering Management and is a Ph.D. candidate in Information Assurance/Cyber Security at George Washington University. Additionally, he is an adjunct professor in the School of Engineering and Applied Science at George Washington University.
Christina L. Smyre-Deloatch, Ph.D., CISSP
Adjunct Instructor, Cybersecurity
Ph.D., George Washington University
M.S., North Caroline A&T State University
B.S., North Carolina State University
Terry L. Thompson, Ph.D.
Adjunct Instructor, Cybersecurity
Ph.D., Georgetown University
M.A., Wayne State University
B.A., Wayne State University
Terry Thompson, a member of UMBC’s adjunct faculty since 2002, has over 35 years of experience with public and private sector security and program development. Most recently, Dr. Thompson worked for Booz Allen Hamilton where he led client engagements and business development activities for U.S. Government agencies in the Washington, D.C. area and UK Government activities while he was based in London. Primary focus areas included cyber security, cyber intelligence analysis, national cyber campaign, signals intelligence technical analysis, and national security. In 2003, Terry was part of the Government-Contractor team that designed the organizational structure and defined the initial roles and mission for the National Cyber Security Division at the Department of Homeland Security. Prior to this position, Dr. Thompson was the Security Advisor the Secretary of the Maryland Department of Transportation and was with the National Security Agency for 27 years.
Dr. Thompson completed his B.A and M.A at Wayne State University and his Ph.D. in Russian Studies from Georgetown University. He is a member of the Intelligence Studies Association, Armed Forces Communication and Electronics Association, and the American Political Science Association. Additionally, Dr. Thompson teaches at University of Maryland, University College.
William O. Waddell
Adjunt Instructor, Cybersecurity
M.A., U.S. Naval War College
M.A., Salve Regina University
B.S., University of Wisconsin - LaCrosse
William Waddell is currently the Director of the Command, Control, and Cyberspace Operations Group in the Center for Strategic Leadership at the U.S. Army War College. As an acclaimed expert in strategic cyberspace operations issues, information and network centric operations, command and control systems, and robotics, in this position he is responsible for the full spectrum integration of academics and operations related to cyberspace and information related topics, the installation and operation of strategic C4I systems, and the integration of future technology. Mr. Waddell also has career military expertise in strategy, strategic planning, and Naval air and Antisubmarine Warfare operations. He was a Naval Flight Office in the U.S. Navy for almost twenty years.
Mr. Waddell received his B.S. in Education at the University of Wisconsin, a M.A. in International Relations from Salve Regina University, and a M.A. in Strategic Studies and National Defense from the U.S. Naval War College. He has taught at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Additionally, he is the Northeast Regional Director of the International ALERT Cadet Ministry.
Tina C. Williams
Adjunct Instructor, Cybersecurity
J.D., University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law
M.S., Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
B.S., UMBC
Tina Williams is currently a Vice President at Dependable Global Solutions (DGS), a full spectrum cybersecurity and intelligence firm, leading DGS' Federal Division, and is an Adjunct Instructor for the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC)'s Master's in Professional Studies: Cybersecurity program. Ms. Williams has extensive expertise in cybersecurity and related policy, software and systems engineering, project management, and business development. Prior to her role at DGS, Ms. Williams worked at Unisys Corporation as the security services lead for the Justice, Courts, and Corrections Practice. Ms. Williams' other professional experience includes technical, management, and leadership work at Lockheed Martin (graduated from the Information Systems Leadership Development Program (ISLDP), and participated in the Business Leadership Development Program (BLDP) prior to transitioning to Unisys); technical research at IBM, Georgia Tech, and the University of California at Berkeley; and legal/policy research at the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED) and the Maryland Center for Health and Homeland Security (CHHS). Ms Williams was a Meyerhoff Scholar and a University Scholar at UMBC, receiving a B.S. in Computer Science. Ms. Williams also holds a M.S. in Management (E-Business concentration) from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), and a Juris Doctor from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law. Ms Williams is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), and a Project Management Professional (PMP), and is a member of the Policy Committee for Maryland DBED's Cybersecuirity Advisory Board.