CAE Community of Practice Cyber Defense
New and Early-Career Faculty Members
Initiative Co-Chairs
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Gretchen Bliss - University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (UCCS), CO
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Paige Flores - California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB), CA
Initiative Committee Members
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Michael Burt
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Kristine Christensen – Moraine Valley Community College, IL
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Satchit Hegde – Touro University, CA
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Thomas Hill – Montreat College, NC
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Terri Johnson Akse – University of Colorado Colorado Springs, CO
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Litany Lineberry – Hinds Community College, MS
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Luis Alberto Tatis Morales – Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico (San Juan), PR
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Deveeshree Nayak – University of Washington, WA
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Anthony Pinto – University of West Florida, FL
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Pam Schmelz – Ivy Tech Community College, IN
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Blair Taylor – Towson University, MD
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Rene Tejon – Nova Southeastern University, FL
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Manghui (Michael) Tu – Purdue University Northwest, IN
CAE-CD New and Early-Career Faculty Members
This CAE-CD initiative aims to engage new and early-career faculty members to enhance education and strengthen the cybersecurity workforce pipeline. Through monthly workshops focused on hands-on learning and practical instruction, faculty will explore CAE Community developed tools and resources that improve classroom and extra-curricular effectiveness. By engaging CAE Points of Contact and responding to faculty-identified needs, the program equips emerging educators to better prepare students for cybersecurity careers, ultimately strengthening the talent pipeline at CAE institutions and beyond.
Upcoming Workshops:
Meet the CAE-CD New and Early Faculty Initiative
Cyber Ranges: Opportunities and Challenges Panel
March 20th , 2026 - 12:00PM - 1:30PM EST
Join us for a discussion on utilizing cyber ranges for curriculum and extracurricular exercises. Panelists will discuss opportunities and challenges they have encountered and provide valuable insights on using cyber ranges in educational settings.
Workshops Registration:
All sessions will be via Zoom. Only those using their .edu email to register and are from a current CAE (CD, CO, and/or R) or part of the CAE Program Development or Application Assistance will be considered. Do not use Gmail! Sessions will be recorded and individually posted on the CAE Community YouTube channel.
All sessions meet 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM Eastern
Updated: February 28, 2026
February 20, 2026 - Curriculum and Courseware Showcase
Presenters:
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Paul Redd - Anne Arundel Community College - Adminsterfy - Watch the Recording
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Avigail Wagner - SecurEd Inc. - Building Cyber Awareness with Age-Appropriate, Ready-to-Use Curriculum (12 Days of Cyber Trivia – CLARKmas) - Watch the Recording
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Tahir Khan - Western Illinois University - Enhancing Student Engagement with Hands-On Activities - Watch the Recording
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Paige Flores - California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB) - From Classroom to Console: Using Try Cyber to Introduce DCWF Cyber Work Roles - Watch the Recording
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Luis M. Vicente - Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico - Teaching Cybersecurity Through Emotional Memory and AI-Assisted Learning - Watch the Recording
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Bradley Plesz - University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) - Notebook LLM New Features - Watch the Recording
Januaryr 27 & 29, 2026 - Initiative Meetup
Presenters:
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Paige Flores - California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB)
Watch the Recording (Coming soon)
December 12, 2025 - Teaching Networking with Wireshark + Packet Tracer
November 14, 2025 - AI Tools to Make Learning Fun!
Presenters:
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Litany Lineberry (Hinds Community College)
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Carmela Gonzales
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Deveeshree Nayak (University of Washington)
October 24, 2025 - Curriculum and Courseware Showcase
September 26, 2025 - Hybrid and Online Teaching Panel
Presenters:
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Yair Levy (Nova Southeastern University)
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Pam Schmelz (Ivy Tech Community College)
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Rene Tejon (Nova Southeastern University)
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Satchit Hedge (Touro University)
August 15, 2025 - Back to Class Connections