CCI Internship Fair - October 2021

Luiz A. DaSilva, Executive Director, Commonwealth Cyber Initiative

Luiz A. DaSilva is the inaugural executive director of CCI. He is internationally recognized for leadership and innovation in wireless communications and networks research. His 21 years of experience in academia include 17 years as a professor at Virginia Tech, where he is the Bradley Professor of Cybersecurity in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

His most recent position prior to CCI was as the telecommunications chairholder at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, and director of CONNECT – the Science Foundation Ireland Centre for FutureCommunications and Network. CONNECT is a multi-university initiative that focuses on future networks and communications, convening the expertise of 250 researchers across 10 universities in Ireland.

DaSilva is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) for his contributions to cognitive networking and to resource management in wireless networks. He pioneered the application of game theory to analyze and design wireless networks, authoring the first book on the topic. He is also responsible for seminal work on cognitive networking and spectrum and network sharing. He has authored two books, more than 300 peer-reviewed papers, and is a frequent keynote speaker and invited lecturer around the world. He is an IEEE Communications Society Distinguished Lecturer (2015-18), a Fellow of Trinity College Dublin, and a former Virginia Tech College of Engineering Faculty Fellow.

Sarah Hayes, Portfolio Director, Commonwealth Cyber Initiative

Sarah Hayes manages a portfolio of programs supporting the innovation/commercialization and workforce development mission lines of the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative that will ensure the Commonwealth of Virginia is a global center of excellence in cybersecurity research and education. Previously, she has supported federal, commercial, and start-up clients with projects ranging from cybersecurity resilience assessments, human capital strategy, business process development and reengineering, and Project Management Office development and support. Hayes also has fundraising experience and currently holds a CrossFit L1 certification and coaches at her local CrossFit gym.

Danny Funderburk, Business Development, Appteon

Danny Funderburk has an extensive background in leadership and workforce development.  As a result of the current Department of Labor contract, he has been able to leverage his many Virginia connections into a nation-wide network of opportunities.  He is also involved in many organizations such as; chambers of commerce, economic development councils, IT networking organizations and business groups.

Bobby Keener, CEO, Civilian Cyber

As an executive-level leader in the private, non-profit and public sectors, Bobby Keener has provided leadership in innovation, cybersecurity, data and technology, education and workforce development to Fortune 100 companies, large non-profits, local governments, state and national agencies, the national intelligence community, and secondary and higher education institutions.

Under Keener's guidance, CivilianCyber has established itself as a leader in technology-driven workforce development, and the company serves as the workforce lead for various prominent state and national initiatives. As chief technology innovations officer at the Virginia Department of Education, Keener was nationally recognized as a Top 25 innovative technology leader by EdScoop.com for his industry leading initiatives. He has also served as a governor appointee to the Virginia Information Technology Advisory Council (ITAC), oversaw technology services for over seventy state agencies, was a founding member of U.S. Department of Education #GoOpen movement, serves on the Virginia Commonwealth University Cyber Center Advisory Board, and has chaired national advisory boards to include the Generate Data Governance Group that oversees the automation of federal data collection and reporting. Many of his programs have also served as national models to include GoOpenVA: Virginia’s Open Education Resource initiative, the K12 Learning Infrastructure Program (KLIP), the Virginia Cybersecurity Summer Camps, and the Student-Led Ideation Challenge (SLIC) that was recognized by the White House. As a consultant, he has advised organizations as diverse as Google, Metropolitan Museum of Art, CarMax and Harrah’s Casino.

Keener earned his Executive MBA and his Master of Information Systems Management from Virginia Commonwealth University, both with honors, and is a veteran of the United States Army where he was a non-commissioned officer, certified jungle operations expert and recipient of the Humanitarian Services Medal.

Christine Flores, Recruitment Communications Specialist, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Department of Homeland Security

Christine Flores is the Recruitment Communications Specialist with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), U.S. Department of Homeland Security.  She has been with CISA working in Student Programs answering intern questions and participating in virtual career fairs since June 2021. She is also detailed from Transportation Security Administration (TSA) with over 20 years in the government.

Leon Nash, Principal, Cyber and Strategic Risk, Deloitte & Touche LLP

Leon Nash is a principal in the Deloitte & Touche LLP’s Cyber and Strategic Risk practice. He brings more than two decades of experience helping his clients be stronger, faster, more innovative, and more resilient in the face of persistent and ever-changing threats. Nash currently serves as Deloitte’s US Consumer Cyber leader, Cyber Internet of Things (IoT) leader for the Connected Vehicle practice, and is the service line champion for cybersecurity of the Future of Mobility.

Nash has served his clients by helping them establish cybersecurity programs and develop robust security architectures through enterprise-wide security implementations (identity and access management, enterprise resource planning security, various enterprise security tools, etc.) using industry-grade technologies designed to address critical business problems across a multitude of disciplines and industries. Nash has leveraged his accumulated cyber security experiences to build information security programs based on industry standards (such as ISO, NIST, etc.) to help his clients establish both governance frameworks and effective operational structures.

David Hill, Program Director, Azure Global, Microsoft

David Hill is a program director in Azure Global, an engineering organization within Microsoft Azure. Hill manages a team of program managers and engineers who are working to enable Microsoft and its customers to be successful across a set of challenges around workforce readiness & program protection through the creation of software and tooling to drive efficiency and scale. Hill joined Microsoft over four years ago to help the company accelerate its journey to the classified cloud and has since contributed across numerous key proposals, design, buildout, & operations deliverables.

Hill received a bachelor’s in engineering from Missouri University of Science & Technology, a master’s in engineering from Southern Methodist University, an MBA from University of Texas, and continues to pursue other interests in higher education.

Jared Greenhill, Sr. Director, Unit 42 Consulting, Palo Alto Networks

Jared Greenhill is a senior director with Palo Alto Networks’ Unit 42 organization, based out of the McLean, VA office. He is a digital forensics/incident response (DFIR) specialist with over a decade of experience building and managing IT security programs for businesses and government agencies. He joined the team in 2019 after previous runs at Sony and RSA Security.

He also currently serves as an adjunct professor at George Mason University, teaching a number of courses in their Digital Forensics and Cyber Analysis Master’s program.

Tara Watson, Human Resources Specialist, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Tara Watson is an Human Resources professional with over 20 years' experience working with various private and public companies, local, state, and federal governments.  Her areas of expertise include recruitment, recruitment marketing, employee relations, training and development, and performance management.  Watson is currently working as a strategic recruitment specialist with the HR Consulting Branch, Office of Human Resources, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services located in Washington D.C. She holds degrees and professional certificates from The University of Maryland and The Catholic University of America focused in business, economics, political science and information technology.  

Malikah “Mikki” Smith, Chief Information Security Officer and Director, Cybersecurity and Enterprise Architecture Division (CEAD)

Malikah “Mikki” Smith serves as the chief information security officer and director of the Cybersecurity and Enterprise Architecture Division, within the Office of the Chief Operating Officer at U.S. Department of Health and Human Service’s Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT. Smith's tenure of government service with Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) has included serving as the resident cybersecurity expert for HealthIT policy and governance, operational technology and cross organizational collaboration.

Smith joined the ONC organization in 2015, bringing a wide breadth of cybersecurity experience from multiple federal and private sector roles spanning 15+ years of IT, Cybersecurity and Security Program acumen. She is considered an industry leader and expert in the area of information system security policies and procedures, applications and network security architectures, DoD and Management & Budget and Federal IA and Security requirements. She has authored articles, contributed to key legislative and congressional publications, and leads global cyber initiatives.

Smith has served as a cybersecurity leader for agencies such as the Defense Health Agency, Department of the Interior and Federal Emergency Management Agency. She has led large, complex, multi-disciplined and multi-geographical cybersecurity teams and programs within the private sector and government space.

A Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Project Management Professional (PMP) and Certification and Accreditation Professional (CAP), Smith has been recognized and is continually awarded for her leadership and technical expertise.

Malika "Mikki" Smith, Chief Information Security Officer and Director, Cybersecurity and Enterprise Architecture Division (CEAD)

Malikah “Mikki” Smith serves as the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and Director of the Cybersecurity and Enterprise Architecture Division (CEAD), within the Office of the Chief Operating Officer (OCOO) at HHS’s Office of the National Coordinator

for Health IT. Mikki tenure of government service with ONC has included serving as the resident cybersecurity expert for HealthIT policy and governance, operational technology and cross organizational collaboration.

Smith joined the ONC organization in 2015, bringing a wide breadth of Cybersecurity experience from multiple Federal and private sector roles spanning 15+ years of IT, Cybersecurity and Security Program acumen. She is considered an industry leader and expert in the area of information system security policies and procedures, applications and network security architectures, DoD and Management & Budget (OMB) and Federal IA and Security requirements. She has authored articles, contributed to key legislative and congressional publications, and leads global cyber initiatives.

Smith has served as a Cybersecurity leader for agencies such as the Defense Health Agency (DHA), Department of the Interior (DOI) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). She has led large, complex, multi-disciplined and multi-geographical cybersecurity teams and programs within the private sector and government space.

A Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Project Management Professional (PMP) and Certification and Accreditation Professional (CAP), she has been recognized and is continually awarded for her leadership and technical expertise.

If you registered but didn't receive a confirmation email, please contact Kendall Beebe at kwbeebe@vt.edu and she will pass along a new calendar hold.

No! This event is free to attend.

Advice for students – upload your resume, have your camera on, dress professionally, show interest, participate and ask questions.

Students can expect informational panels from industry, government, academia, and startup leaders, and they will share an overview of their internship and apprenticeship programs. Then, on the second day, students can visit organizations and institutions' booths and connect with recruiters and program leaders through 1:1 live messages and videos.

Yes, we encourage participants to wear business formal for the internship fair. Even if you are targeting companies that are casual (e.g.  start-up or tech), still wear a professional outfit in line with recommendations. Professional, neat dress helps to communicate that you are serious about the organization and the possibility of working there.

Yes, students are encouraged to submit questions prior to the fair for speakers to answer, please submit questions to Kendall Beebe at kwbeebe@vt.edu

Example questions

• What do you look for in resumes/a candidate?
• As a freshman, I have some time to plan ahead. Would you be able to recommend any skills I should develop to be attractive to your field?
• What types of projects do interns work on at your organization?
• Can you tell me about your hiring timelines for internship and/or full-time positions?

If an employer is sharing his/her contact information, you should send a thank you email within 24 hours of the fair. Follow up on any information requested, or ask a follow up question if you have one, and reference something specific in your conversation to jog his/her memory about you. If you ask a question and don’t hear back, it is appropriate to send a follow-up email after two weeks. Even if you don’t receive a response, sending a thank you message is an important part of your interaction.

• Copy of your resume
• List of questions and quick pointers about each organization
• Pen and paper to take notes about the employers you meet with during breakout sessions
• Water bottle or glass of water – stay hydrated.

With a mission of research, innovation, and workforce development, the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI) focuses on the intersection of security, autonomous systems, and data. Funded by the Commonwealth of Virginia, CCI is a highly connected statewide network that engages institutions of higher education, industry, government, and nongovernmental and economic development organizations. CCI’s network includes 39 higher education institutions and 320 faculty members as well as more than 20 industry partners. CCI was established in the 2018-20 Virginia budget with an investment of approximately $20 million annually from 2020 and beyond. Follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Thanks for your interest! Please contact Kendall Beebe at kwbeebe@vt.edu to get involved.

Please email Kendall Beebe at kwbeebe@vt.edu.

CCI will post a recording of the panel, which you can watch on CCI’s YouTube channel.