Champlain College and our Women in Cybersecurity Leadership Council invite you to attend the Women in Cyber Summit. This event is designed for a diverse audience, from high school students to seasoned professionals. Let’s come together, share knowledge, and forge meaningful connections. If you want to learn more about cybersecurity, pursue a degree, enter the field, or connect with others who appreciate technology, this summit is for you.
The programming features a keynote presentation by Michele Tomasic, Deputy Director of Women in Cybersecurity (WiCyS). There will be interactive sessions, panels featuring cyber professionals, and expert speakers exploring topics like “Stories from the Front Line” and “How to Get into the Field.” There will be networking, mentoring, and learning opportunities for high school and college students, including guidance on how to start a WiCyS chapter at your school and assistance in applying for scholarships to the national WiCyS Conference in Nashville, Tennessee in April 2024.
Presentations and activities will run from 9:00 AM to 2:30 PM and include lunch and networking opportunities. This event is free and open to the general public. Registration is now closed.
9:00 am-2:30 pm
375 Maple Street
Burlington, Vermont
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- If you are a high school teacher or counselor and want to bring a group of students to the Women in Cyber Summit, please contact Susannah Eriksson (erikkson@champlain.edu) to register. Funding is available to assist with travel expenses.
- High school students are also welcome to attend our Open House on Saturday, November 4 to learn more about Champlain College. You can register for the Open House online here.
- The Women in Cyber Summit is made possible by generous anonymous donors. We thank them for their commitment to supporting Champlain College.
- 9:15–9:30 AM | Welcome
- Alex Hernandez, President, Champlain College
- Jessica Turner ‘22 & Brianna Blanchard ‘11 &’16, Champlain Alumni, NuHarbor, Co-Leads of Champlain’s Women in Cybersecurity Leadership Council
- 9:30–10:00 AM | Empowering the Future of Cybersecurity Keynote
- Michele Tomasic, Deputy Director of WiCyS
- 10:00–10:30 AM | Stories from the Front Line: What I Do. How I Got Here. A Good Story. With our Women in Cybersecurity Leadership Council members
- Cheri Ayoub, Cybersecurity Advisor/State Coordinator, CISA Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (Moderating)
- Samantha Balzersen, Supervisory Special Agent, FBI
- Nickole Arbuckle, Information Assurance Security Director, AT&T Business | Public Sector & FirstNet | Defense & National Security
- Mauriella DiTommaso, Senior Cybersecurity Manager and Digital Forensics Investigator, Washington State Department of Social and Health Service
- 10:30–11:00 AM | Activity/Workshop #1: Open Source Intelligence Gathering Demo
- Molly Shapiro ‘25, Champlain WiCyS Chapter President
- 11:00–11:30 AM | VT Attorney General Charity Clark on The Future of Data Privacy Protections in Vermont
- 11:30–12:00 PM | Unlocking Your Cyber Path: Advice for Students
- Jessica Turner and Brianna Blanchard (moderators)
- Abby Barr ‘19, Consultant, Palo Alto Networks
- Emily Shelton ‘18, Strategic Consultant, Mandiant (Google Cloud)
- LaKysha Patnode ‘19, G‘22, Information Assurance Team Lead, NuHarbor
- 1:00–1:30 PM | The Role of Digital Forensics in Preventing and Detecting Human Trafficking
- Dr. Mariam Khader, Assistant Professor of Digital Forensics, Champlain College
- Dr. Ali Hadi, Associate Professor, of Digital Forensics, Champlain College
- Cece Ehgotz ‘26, Digital Forensics Major
- Mitchell Biagini ‘26, Digital Forensics Major
- 1:30–2:15 PM | Activity/Workshop #2: CyberTech Team Demo
- Hannelore Sanokklis ‘26, Cybersecurity Major
- Savannah Ciak ‘26, Cybersecurity Major
- Lily Pouliot ‘26, Cybersecurity Major
- Matt Comptan ‘26, Cybersecurity Major
- 2:30 PM | Closing Remarks
