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Symposium 2025 Agenda

Check out the agenda for the CCI Symposium, to be held April 14-15, 2025, in Richmond, Va.

Members of the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative and invited guests will gather at the fourth annual event at the Omni Richmond Hotel.

See scenes from 2024 CCI Symposium sessions. Photos by Ron Aira for CCI.
Luiz DaSilva speaks at lectern

Commonwealth Cyber Initiative Executive Director Luiz DaSilva delivers the State of CCI address at the 2024 CCI Symposium.

Cheri Pascoe speaks at lectern

Cheri Pascoe delivers the Symposium's keynote speech. She is director of the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Cybersecurity experts in chairs on stage

Sarah Hayes, left, CCI’s director of innovation and workforce development, leads a discussion on “From Lab to Market: Research and Innovation.” Speakers include, from second from left: Hina Mehta, director of University Programs for the Commercialization Division at Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation; Paul Nolde, managing director of 757 Collab; Rebecca Haydock, Managing Director of Venture Central; and Bob Creeden, managing director of the University of Virginia’s LVG Seed Fund & New Ventures.

Cybersecurity experts in chairs on stage

Feras Batarseh, left, associate professor at CCI and Virginia Tech, leads a discussion on “New AI Policies in the Commonwealth.” Speakers include, second from left: OKi Mek, Microsoft’s Chief Information Security Officer for the Federal Civilian Sector; Maegen Nix, director of the Virginia Tech Applied Research Corporation's Information Sciences & Analytics Division; and Milos Manic, professor with the Virginia Commonwealth University Computer Science Department and Director of the VCU Cybersecurity Center.

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Day One: April 14, 2025

Some events and times subject to change
9  to 11 a.m.: Registration, poster set-up
11 a.m. to noon: Networking and boxed lunch
Noon: Opening Remarks, Dan Sui, Senior Vice President and Chief Research and Innovation Officer, Virginia Tech
12:05 to 1 p.m.: Keynote Address Sudha Vyas, Acting Principal Director for Cybersecurity & Chief Cybersecurity Architect for the Department of Defense, Office of the Chief Information Officer
 
1 to 2 p.m.: State of CCI: Luiz DaSilva, CCI Executive Director
2 to 2:15 p.m.: Break
2:15 to 3:15 p.m.: Industry Spotlight: Diana Kelly, CISO of Protect AI
3:15 to 3:30 p.m.: Break
3:30 to 4:30 p.m.: Project-Based Learning Student Panel, featuring Yasemin Tanyu  and Christopher Zhong of Virginia Tech, Jackson Walker of Christopher Newport University, and Rachel Wang of George Mason University
4:30 to 6:30 p.m.: Poster session
6:30 to 8 p.m.: Awards dinner

Day Two: April 15, 2025

8 to 9 a.m.: Breakfast and networking
9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: AI for Cybersecurity Workshop (Invitation Only)
9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: Comprehensive Cybersecurity Workshop
9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: Research presentations and networking
9 a.m.to 12:30 p.m.: Career Workshop led by Kevin Muchiri, PMP, CCSP, Assistant Director for Graduate and Alumni Programs, Old Dominion University (Students Only)
12:30 p.m.: Symposium concludes
CCI Symposium April 14-15, 2025