CCI-COVANODE.ORG - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Coastal Virginia Node Director
- Member of COMMITTEE
Brian K. Payne is the vice provost for academic affairs at Old Dominion University, where he is tenured in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice. He serves as director of the Coastal Virginia Center for Cyber Innovation. His research interests are pedagogy, elder abuse, cybercrime, and white-collar crime.
He is a former editor of the American Journal of Criminal Justice and past president of the Southern Criminal Justice Association and the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences. Payne is the author or co-author of more than 160 journal articles and seven books including White-Collar Crime: The Essentials; Family Violence and Criminal Justice; Crime and Elder Abuse: An Integrated Perspective; and Introduction to Criminal Justice: A Balanced Approach. He is the founding chair of the Hampton Roads Cybersecurity Education, Workforce, and Economic Development Alliance. Payne is currently PI or co-PI on three NSF grants totaling $1.6 million. Payne received his all of his degrees - a B.S. in sociology and an M.A. and Ph.D. in criminology - from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Job Titles:
- Professor of Computer Science and the PI / PD for the Center of Excellence
Chung-Chu (George) Hsieh is a professor of Computer Science and the PI/PD for the Center of Excellence in Cyber Security at Norfolk State University. His research interests include cybersecurity, cloud computing, big data, and AI/ML.
Before joining Norfolk State University, Hsieh worked for twenty years at Bell Laboratories of AT&T and Lucent Technologies as a member of technical staff, technical manager, senior manager, and director. He had a variety of roles and responsibilities at Bell Labs including applied research and product development, technical and project management, and business and organization management.
At NSU, Hsieh served as the graduate program coordinator for the master's in computer science program since its inauguration in 2003 to 2013. He was awarded the Distinguished University Professor of the Year in 2013 by NSU. Hsieh has been very active in sponsored research, having served as PI, co-PI, or research team leader for 14 externally funded programs with approximately $40.4 million in total funding. George received his Ph.D. and M.S. in Computer Science degrees from Northwestern University in Evanston Illinois in 1982 and 1980, respectively, and B.S. in Nuclear Engineering degree from National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan, Republic of China, in 1973. He is a member of IEEE Computer Society, ACM, Tau Beta Pi, and Upsilon Pi Epsilon.
Job Titles:
- Admin
- Member of the Planning Committee
- Research Scientist
- Researcher
Research area:
Daniel is currently working to bridge the gap between the legal and the technical fields in the areas of emerging technologies. With the rise of 5G, Internet-of-Things devices are forecast to proliferate across all sectors of society. The ubiquity of internet-connected devices gives rise to a unique set of challenges from the legal perspective, and understanding these legal risks is necessary to mitigate potential liabilities. Our legal system assigns special protections to Personally Identifiable Information (PII), and the rise of data breaches involving PII triggers multiple data protection laws and regulations that might not be well known within the cybersecurity community. Traditionally, the development of cybersecurity has been primarily driven by the computer and technical science community. However, the emergence of ransomware and other data breach incidents underscored the legal dimension of cyber intrusions. Daniel's research highlights the need for the legal community's contribution to the future development of cybersecurity. Measuring cyber risks now requires an assessment of the legal risk, forcing organizations to consider complex and often multi-jurisdictional regulatory regimes when assessing the soundness of their systems. His research underscores the need for attorneys to play a more active role in the area of cybersecurity.
Bio:
Daniel Shin is the Cybersecurity Researcher at the Center for Legal & Court Technology (CLCT) and is actively participating in the activities of the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative's Coastal Virginia Node. Daniel is currently working in the fields of cybersecurity and supply chain protection, deepfakes, and machine learning assisted cyber and information security intrusion techniques. Daniel received his B.A. from Northwestern University and his M.A. from the University of Mannheim in Germany. He received his J.D. from William & Mary Law School, where he was a CLCT Graduate Fellow. He previously interned for the Office of Chief Counsel at the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Office of Privacy and Civil Liberties at the U.S. Department of Justice. Mr. Shin is admitted to practice law in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director for Advising Administration and Transfer Initiatives at Old Dominion University
Daniela Cigularova serves as the Executive Director for Advising Administration and Transfer Initiatives at Old Dominion University (ODU). She works directly with university leaders, academic departments, and support units to enhance enrollment and retention and develop effective policies and practices impacting student success. Daniela Cigularova is a member of the SCHEV State Committee on Transfer and Transfer VA, National Academic Advising Association ( NACADA), ODU Women's Caucus Board, ODU Association of University Administrators, among others. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Banking and Finance from the University of Economics in Bulgaria and Master of Science in Student Affairs in Higher Education from Colorado State University. Daniela Cigularova is a graduate of the 2015-2016 Senior Leadership Seminar for Women Administrators. She has been serving as the Co-Chair for the External Partnership Committee for Coastal Virginia Center for Cyber Innovation. Daniela's career spans 19 years of service to students in Europe and the United States. She continuously strives to forge new connections and partnerships in support of student success.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director, IT Security & Planning for Old Dominion University
Doug Streit is the Executive Director, IT Security & Planning for Old Dominion University. Doug has served at Old Dominion University for over 20 years, working as a systems engineer, server-systems support manager and technical director. He accepted the responsibilities of Information Security and Identity Management in 2011. Current responsibilities include strategic and operational planning, the Information Security Program, in-house identity and middleware development, IT Project Management, and University Records Management. He enjoys working with a very talented and committed team of developers, security administrators, managers, and directors within his organization. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering with an emphasis in Oceanography from the United States Naval Academy and he maintains a certification as a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP).
Job Titles:
- Research Assistant Professor at Old Dominion University
Dr. Bikash Chandra Singh is a Research Assistant Professor at Old Dominion University (ODU) and a Fellow of Commonwealth Cyber Initiative. Dr. Singh was a postdoctoral researcher at ODU's VMASC from Nov 2022 to July 2023,and also served as a postdoctoral fellow at the dept. of Electronics and Information Engineering, Hong Kong Polytechnic University from Dec 2020 to Apr 2022, respectively. In addition, he was a faculty member at the dept. of Information and Communication Technology, Islamic University, Bangladesh. He obtained PhD from the dept. of Computer Science, Insubria University, Italy. His research activities cover all areas of data privacy and security, supply chain cybersecurity, machine learning in cybersecurity, big data analysis and blockchain systems.
Job Titles:
- Member of COMMITTEE
- Professor of Educational Leadership
Dr. Sanzo is a Professor of Educational Leadership and the Graduate Program Director for the Educational Leadership Services program. She is also the Provost's Fellow for Design Thinking and Strategic Planning. She has degrees in Ed.D. in Education Administration and Policy Studies, The George Washington University, (2006), M.A. in Education and Human Development, The George Washington University, (2000), and B.A. in History and Elementary Education, The College of William & Mary, (1998)
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor at Old Dominion University
Dr. Lida Haghnegahdar is an Assistant Professor at Old Dominion University (ODU). She was a recipient of the innovational scientist fellowship to work with the industry on systems optimization projects. Previously, she served as a post-doctoral research scientist at the Center for Agile and Adaptive Additive Manufacturing Center (CAAAM) at the University of North Texas. Her main research interest involves smart manufacturing, cyber-physical systems, cybersecurity, digital supply chain, IoT cloud, smart grid, and distributed systems. Her research focuses on systems computation, intrusion detection, and smart systems that are making lasting impacts considering artificial intelligence (AI) and data analysis applications.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Planning Committee
- Research Scientist
Dr. Pitman holds a PhD in International Studies from Old Dominion University, a Master's in Humanities from the same institution, and a Master of Laws degree from Sofia University, Bulgaria. As a subject matter expert, Dr. Pitman worked on different projects on disinformation, sponsored by NATO and by the U.S. Department of State. She was also a guest-speaker at various international events organized by the Tactics Institute for Security & Counter Terrorism (UK), the Legal Innovation Lab Wales (UK), NATO-ACT and NATO Innovation Hub.
She has published multiple peer-reviewed articles and book chapters with a focus on international security and cybersecurity. Her publications appear in International Journal of Cyber Criminology, International Journal of Intelligence & Cybercrime, International Journal of Criminal Justice Sciences, Journal of Criminal Justice Studies, and Politikon: The IAPSS Journal of Political Science, and the Encyclopedia of Global Security Studies. She is also a co-editor of the NATO-issued volume Advances in Defence Analysis, Concept Development and Experimentation: Innovation for the Future.
Education:
Ph.D., International Studies (International Security), Old Dominion University, 2019
M.A., Humanities, (concentration in International Studies), Old Dominion University, 2016
LL.M., Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", Bulgaria, 2014
Job Titles:
- Professor at Old Dominion University
Dr. Rafael Diaz is a Professor at Old Dominion University (ODU) and Commonwealth Cyber Initiative Fellow. He serves as the Graduate Program Director for the School of Cybersecurity. He is the Director of Supply Chain Cybersecurity Research and Co-Director of the Digital Maritime and Shipbuilding Lab (SHIP). Previously, he served as an Affiliate Researcher at the MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics and as a Professor of Supply Chain Management at the MIT-Zaragoza International Logistics Program. His research interests include homeland security supply chain cybersecurity, emergency management, recovery supply chain management, and AI applications in maritime logistics problems.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor
- Member of COMMITTEE
Stephanie Blackmon is an associate professor in the William & Mary School of Education. She teaches qualitative research courses and courses related to college and university teaching and learning, with a particular emphasis on areas such as technology integration and experiential learning. Her research explores the qualitative experiences people have with the following: technology integration in higher education and professional development settings; trust and privacy in learning and data analytics use; and trust and privacy with the use of internet-connected devices such as wearable technology, mobile technology, and in-home technology. Blackmon is currently the lead PI on an interdisciplinary CCI grant that includes colleagues from ODU's Department of Philosophy & Religious Studies and the Virginia Modeling, Analysis & Simulation Center (VMASC). The research project is rooted in universal design (UD) and universal design learning (UDL), equity, and justice, as the team studies the experiences people with disabilities have with trust and internet-connected devices. Stephanie holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration, B.A. and M.A. in English
Job Titles:
- Research Committee Co - Chairs
Hongyi Wu is the Batten Chair of Cybersecurity and the director of the School of Cybersecurity at Old Dominion University. He is also a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and holds a joint appointment in the Department of Computer Science. Wu's research focuses on networked and intelligent cyber-physical systems for security, safety, and emergency management applications. Before joining Old Dominion University, Wu was an Alfred and Helen Lamson Endowed Professor at the Center for Advanced Computer Studies at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. A Fellow of IEEE, Wu has chaired several conferences such as IEEE Infocom 2020, IEEE WoWMoM 2016, and IEEE Globecom Wireless Communication Symposium 2015. He also served on the editorial board of several journals including IEEE Transactions on Mobile Computing, IEEE Transactions on Parallel and Distributed Systems, and IEEE Internet of Things Journal. He received an NSF CAREER award in 2004, a 2011 Distinguished Professor award from University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and the IEEE Percom Mark Weiser Best Paper award in 2018. He earned both a Ph.D. in computer science and a M.S. in electrical engineering from the State University of New York at Buffalo, and a B.S. in scientific instruments from Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, China.
Job Titles:
- Chief Administrative Officer for COVA CCI
- Coastal Virginia Node Chief Administrative Officer and Program Manager
- Member of COMMITTEE
John Costanzo is the Chief Administrative Officer for COVA CCI. Prior to this position, John was the Associate Director for Old Dominion University's Virginia Beach Higher Education Center, where he worked with students, faculty and staff on academic advising, student engagement and other student focused activities. Before joining ODU in 2013, John served over 26 years in the United States Army and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel. John has a Master's in Business Administration (MBA) degree from Averett University, a Bachelor of Arts in History from Old Dominion University and is a Project Management professional.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Planning Committee
- Research Scientist
- Research Assistant Professor
Kazi Aminul Islam is a research assistant professor/research scientist at the school of cybersecurity at Old Dominion University. He recently completed his Ph.D. degree in the Electrical and Computer Engineering department at Old Dominion University, USA. Previously, he received his BS degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from Khulna University of Engineering and Technology, Bangladesh, and an MS degree in Electrical Engineering from Lamar University, USA.
Education:
Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Old Dominion University, August 2021
Masters of Engineering Science in Electrical Engineering, Lamar University, Texas, May 2016
Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Khulna University of Engineering and Technology, Bangladesh, 2010
Professor Kimberly Perez holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honors) Degree in Information Science from Chatham University in Pittsburgh, PA; a Master's of Science Degree in Information Systems from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County; and a Master's of Science Degree in Information Systems from Strayer University, and is currently enrolled in the Doctorate of Information Systems program with a specialization Information Assurance and Cyber Security at Capella University. She also holds multiple industry certifications. Professor Perez began her teaching and research with the University of Maryland, Baltimore County as a graduate teaching assistant in 1994. She taught various courses in information systems technology. In 1997, Ms. Perez joined the University of Maryland, University College where she taught different Information Systems Technology courses and mentored students in Japan. In 1998 Ms Perez transferred to the European Division of the University of Maryland, University College and taught in England and Turkey. Over the period 2000-2005, she served as an adjunct professor for Saint Leo University, also serving as an academic advisor. Ms. Perez joined Tidewater Community College's Information Systems Technology department in 2000 and is currently the lead faculty member for the Cyber Security program and Department Chair for the Virginia Beach campus.
Job Titles:
- Coastal Virginia Node Deputy Director
- Deputy Director of COVA CCI
Mike Robinson is the Deputy Director of COVA CCI and the Director of ODU's Center for Innovative Transportation Solutions. He has been at ODU since 2004. His work is focused on simulations in three areas: transportation, evacuations, and pedestrian modeling. His work incorporates decision-making and behavioral influences. Mike's degrees include from Ph.D. in Modeling and Simulation, Old Dominion University, (2010), M.S. in Physics, Naval Postgraduate School, (1987), and B.S. in Political Science, U.S. Naval Academy, (1980).
Job Titles:
- Member of the Planning Committee
- Research Scientist
Job Titles:
- Program Coordinator at the School of Cybersecurity
Saltuk Karahan is Program Coordinator at the School of Cybersecurity at Old Dominion University and a lecturer in the Department of Political Science and Geography. Karahan's research interests and projects revolve around the central theme of information technology development as it impacts various international security and foreign policy-related phenomena. In particular, his work broadly falls into two veins - (1) the study of how the globalization of information technologies impacts international conflict dynamics and national security processes, and (2) the examination of how new digital information dynamics affect both state and non-state actors' influence on the policy process. Before joining Old Dominion University, Karahan worked in various leadership roles within NATO. Karahan's long military career was focused on national security strategy, transformation in national and international organizations and technological capability development. He earned his Ph.D. in International Studies from Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA with a concentration on Conflict and Cooperation and his Master's in Modeling and Simulation from Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA with a concentration on Human-Computer Interaction.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Planning Committee
- Research Scientist
- Senior Cyber Law Researcher
Research area:
Tabrez Ebrahim's work is linked to the activities of the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative. His research centers on the intersection of law, technology, and business, with an emphasis on artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, and digital platforms.
Bio:
Tabrez Ebrahim is the Senior Cyber Law Researcher at the William & Mary Law School, Center for Legal & Court Technology (CLCT). He received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering (High Honors) from the University of Texas at Austin, his M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University, his Graduate Entrepreneurship Certificate from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, his LL.M. from the University of Houston Law Center, and his M.B.A. and J.D. from Northwestern University.
He is an Associate Professor at California Western School of Law, a Scholar at George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School with the Center for Intellectual Property x Innovation Policy (C-IP2), an Ostrom Visiting Scholar at Indiana University (Bloomington), a Visiting Fellow at the University of Nebraska (Lincoln) Governance and Technology Center (NGTC), and a Visiting Associate Professor at University of California San Diego (UCSD). He has been a Visiting Research Fellow at Bournemouth University's Centre for Intellectual Property Policy & Management in England.
Mr. Ebrahim is a registered U.S. patent attorney and is admitted to practice in Texas.
Education:
Juris Doctor (J.D.), Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, 2013
Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.), Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management, 2013
Master of Science (M.S.), Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University School of Engineering, 2007.
Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Mechanical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin Cockrell School of Engineering, 2002
Tracey Gregorio is the CEO of G2 Ops, Inc. Under her leadership, G2 Ops continues to grow at a double-digit pace, providing model-based systems engineering (MBSE) and security engineering solutions to the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Air Force, and numerous small, medium, and large businesses. G2 Ops' customer base employs systems within some of the most challenging environments imaginable and relies on G2 Ops for cyber resiliency, systems and data modeling, and risk analysis solutions. G2 Ops expanded its offices in Virginia Beach and Arlington, Virginia and San Diego, California this past year due to phenomenal grow. Along with their growth came service excellence recognized by numerous awards from the Department of Defense for innovation in engineering and the Patriotic Employer Award in 2018. The Inc. 5000 List recognized G2 Ops for the third time as one of the nation's fastest growing companies. Gregorio is committed to maintaining a strong community presence by presiding as the Cybersecurity Committee Chair of the Virginia Ship Repair Association and serves on the boards of the Virginia Maritime Association and ODU Research Foundation. Ms. Gregorio earned an M.S. in Computer Science from Old Dominion University and a B.S. in Computer Science from Virginia Tech. She is a graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program and received a certificate in Cybersecurity: Technology, Application, and Policy from MIT.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Planning Committee
- Research Scientist
- Professor at the School of Cybersecurity
Research area:
Tran Viet Xuan Phuong's main research interests include applied cryptography, blockchain security, and IoT cybersecurity
Bio:
Tran Viet Xuan Phuong is currently a Research Assistant Professor at the School of Cybersecurity, University of Old Dominion University, USA. Before that, she was a Research Fellow at IC^2, School of Computing and Information Technology, University of Wollongong, and a Contributed Fellow at CSIRO - Data61. During Spring 2017 - Summer 2018, Tran was a Postdoc Researcher at Old Dominion University, USA. She has published in the top tier of cryptography/security conferences and journals, including ACM CCS, ESORICS, IEEE INFOCOM, ACM ASIACCS, IEEE TIFS, IEEE TII, etc.
Education:
Doctor of Philosophy in Cryptology and Cybersecurity, University of Wollongong, Australia, 2016
Job Titles:
- Member of the Planning Committee
- Research Scientist
Research area:
Her research interests include artificial intelligence, deep learning, machine learning and its application in image processing and cyber security areas. Her current research focus is on reliable/ trustworthy AI. With AI and deep learning technologies continuing to gain strength and broaden its scope in a wide variety of applications, the reliability of AI technology has become an undeniable rising security issue and the verification of AI/ML models has become an exceedingly critical piece in many systems, where the failures can cause major consequences for the validity and legitimacy of AI/ML technology. To better support the sustainability of the growth of AI/ML, trustworthy AI aims to identify and mitigate potential cyber risks at every stage of AI lifecycle, and address the security challenges in major AI and deep learning applications. Trustworthy AI highlights the role of cybersecurity in combating the abuse of such technology and establishing the reliable and trustworthy development in AI field. Trustworthy AI ultimately offers ways forward to establishing a secure ecosystem for AI across different application domains.
Bio:
Yan Lu received her BS Degree in Computer Science from Beijing Jiaotong University in 2004, her MS degree in Circuit and System from Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2007, and MS Degree in Computer Science from Virginia Commonwealth University on 2009. She received her Ph.D. degree in Modeling and Simulation from Old Dominion University in 2020. She is currently working as a research assistant professor in the Virginia, Modeling, Analysis and Simulation Center (VMASC), Old Dominion University. She is the member of Association for Computing Machinery Special Interest Group on Simulation (SIGSIM), she received the Gene Newman Awards from ODU in 2018.
Education:
Ph.D, 2020, Modeling & Simulation, Old Dominion University
MS, 2009, Computer Science, Virginia Commonwealth University
MS, 2007, Circuit & Systems, Chinese Academy of Sciences
BS, 2004, Computer Science, Beijing Jiaotong University