David Nelson David Nelson is responsible the VMware IT Academy Program and facets of the VMware Academic Program as well as eLearning and Business Development for Education Services. Previously, he was responsible for Sun Microsystems's Technology & Academic Resources philanthropic programs and prior to that was a Sr. Director responsible for Content Development, the Sun Educational Services business in Europe, Middle East and Africa and earlier for North America and Australia Educational Services. In addition Mr. Nelson serves on the CompTIA Certification Advisory Council. Mr. Nelson has an MBA from Syracuse University with over 40 years of software development and customer service management experience in the computer industry.
Dr. Rich Loft Rich Loft (Atmospheric Sciences) is Director of the Technology Development Division (TDD) in the Computational and Information Systems Laboratory (CISL) at NCAR. He is responsible for research in applied computer science, visualization and enabling technologies, and earth system modeling infrastructure. TDD operates the Earth System Grid (http://www.earthsystemgrid.org), a federated data system for distributing CMIP climate model intercomparison data.
Dr. Ted Mims Dr. Ted Mims has over forty years of successful experience as a teacher and administrator. He serves as Chair of the Computer Science Department at the University of Illinois at Springfield. In August of 2003, he was promoted to the rank of professor. Recently, his focus has been on providing leadership for the Computer Science Department as enrollments have increased. He has successfully introduced systems security and information assurance into the computer science curriculum. His main areas of teaching are systems security and information assurance, operating systems, networks, and parallel processing. He has continued his professional development taking formal advanced graduate course work, NSF sponsored courses and workshops, Microsoft and Cisco classes and attending conferences.
Dr. Mims is a successful teacher and administrative leader. His success is documented by the recognition he has received from local, state and national organizations. He has served as an external evaluator for associate, bachelor's and master's degree programs. In 2003, he was selected to serve as a Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI) on the $2,997,615 NSF/ATE funded Regional Center for Systems Security and Information Assurance (CSSIA) grant that was renewed for an additional four years in 2006. He continues to serve as a CSSIA Co-PI on the $1,877,252 newly funded NSF/ATE grant for the National Resource Center for Systems Security and Information Assurance. He is actively seeking community college, university and private sector partners to participate in the CSSIA grant.
Dr. Ernest L. McDuffie In early 2010 the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) was selected as the lead agency for the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) and they identified Dr. McDuffie to be the Lead of this important National Initiative. In his previous position he had been appointed the Associate Director of the National Coordination Office (NCO) for Networking and Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD) in February 2008. Prior to joining the NCO, Dr. McDuffie served as the Deputy Director of the Office of Naval Research (ONR) – Science and Technology for America’s Readiness (N-STAR) Initiative. He also served as the Lead Program Director for the Federal Cyber Service: Scholarship for Service (SFS) Program at the National Science Foundation (NSF). He was an Assistant Professor at Florida State University in the Department of Computer Science where he taught both graduate and undergraduate courses in CS for seven years. Dr. McDuffie received his Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in Computer Science from the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Florida.
Dr. John Sands Dr. John Sands has been a professor of Information Technology at Moraine Valley Community College for 26 years. He has a Ph.D. from Colorado State University School of Education and a MA from Governors State University. Dr. Sands is the legal main contact at the Moraine Valley Community College CATC. He has served as the principle investigator on the NSF ATE project #9950037 as well as a Co-PI for the Center for System Security and Information Assurance, one of the country's first comprehensive Centers for Advanced Technology Education. Dr. Sands holds several industry certifications including CISSP, CCIA, CCNP, MCSE, and CCNA. He has also authored several text books, white papers and lab manuals and has been invited to speak at many national conferences, including the League for Innovation –CIT conference, the NSF PI conference, the NCATC annual conference and the AACC Annual Convention. Dr. Sands has also worked at Cisco Learning Institute as a senior researcher in technical education.
Dr. Cheryl Seals Dr. Cheryl Seals is an Associate Professor in the Computer Science and Software Engineering Department at Auburn University. Dr. Cheryl Seals is an assistant professor in Auburn University's Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering. She received her B.S. from Grambling State University, M.S. from North Carolina A&T State University and Ph.D. from Virginia Tech with all of her degrees in the area of Computer Science. Dr. Seals studies the area of novice programmers utilizing visual programming techniques, user interface design projects to improve interaction design, and game design & development and the dimensions games can add to computer literacy. She has a vested interested in programs that are community centered, increase diversity in technology, and targeted at helping today's youth strive for a better tomorrow. Seals continuously works with programs that provide computer interventions for students in the elementary, middle and high schools in the local area.
Kim Yohannan Kim Yohannan is responsible the EMC Academic Alliance program in North America. Previously, she managed the global EMC Centera ISV Partner Program. Before EMC, she worked at Xplana Learning, an educational software company, as their Senior Director of Operations and at Nortel Networks where she was part of the certification exam team and was responsible for the NetKnowledge Program which provided curriculum to academic institutions. Before Nortel, Kim spent seven years as a primary school teacher with a focus in English as a Second Language (ESL).
David Nelson is responsible the VMware IT Academy Program and facets of the VMware Academic Program as well as eLearning and Business Development for Education Services. Previously, he was responsible for Sun Microsystems's Technology & Academic Resources philanthropic programs and prior to that was a Sr. Director responsible for Content Development, the Sun Educational Services business in Europe, Middle East and Africa and earlier for North America and Australia Educational Services. In addition Mr. Nelson serves on the CompTIA Certification Advisory Council. Mr. Nelson has an MBA from Syracuse University with over 40 years of software development and customer service management experience in the computer industry.
Rich Loft (Atmospheric Sciences) is Director of the Technology Development Division (TDD) in the Computational and Information Systems Laboratory (CISL) at NCAR. He is responsible for research in applied computer science, visualization and enabling technologies, and earth system modeling infrastructure. TDD operates the Earth System Grid (http://www.earthsystemgrid.org), a federated data system for distributing CMIP climate model intercomparison data. 
Dr. Ted Mims has over forty years of successful experience as a teacher and administrator. He serves as Chair of the Computer Science Department at the University of Illinois at Springfield. In August of 2003, he was promoted to the rank of professor. Recently, his focus has been on providing leadership for the Computer Science Department as enrollments have increased. He has successfully introduced systems security and information assurance into the computer science curriculum. His main areas of teaching are systems security and information assurance, operating systems, networks, and parallel processing. He has continued his professional development taking formal advanced graduate course work, NSF sponsored courses and workshops, Microsoft and Cisco classes and attending conferences. 
In early 2010 the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) was selected as the lead agency for the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) and they identified Dr. McDuffie to be the Lead of this important National Initiative. In his previous position he had been appointed the Associate Director of the National Coordination Office (NCO) for Networking and Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD) in February 2008. Prior to joining the NCO, Dr. McDuffie served as the Deputy Director of the Office of Naval Research (ONR) – Science and Technology for America’s Readiness (N-STAR) Initiative. He also served as the Lead Program Director for the Federal Cyber Service: Scholarship for Service (SFS) Program at the National Science Foundation (NSF). He was an Assistant Professor at Florida State University in the Department of Computer Science where he taught both graduate and undergraduate courses in CS for seven years. Dr. McDuffie received his Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in Computer Science from the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Florida.
Dr. John Sands has been a professor of Information Technology at Moraine Valley Community College for 26 years. He has a Ph.D. from Colorado State University School of Education and a MA from Governors State University. Dr. Sands is the legal main contact at the Moraine Valley Community College CATC. He has served as the principle investigator on the NSF ATE project #9950037 as well as a Co-PI for the Center for System Security and Information Assurance, one of the country's first comprehensive Centers for Advanced Technology Education. Dr. Sands holds several industry certifications including CISSP, CCIA, CCNP, MCSE, and CCNA. He has also authored several text books, white papers and lab manuals and has been invited to speak at many national conferences, including the League for Innovation –CIT conference, the NSF PI conference, the NCATC annual conference and the AACC Annual Convention. Dr. Sands has also worked at Cisco Learning Institute as a senior researcher in technical education. 
Dr. Cheryl Seals is an Associate Professor in the Computer Science and Software Engineering Department at Auburn University. Dr. Cheryl Seals is an assistant professor in Auburn University's Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering. She received her B.S. from Grambling State University, M.S. from North Carolina A&T State University and Ph.D. from Virginia Tech with all of her degrees in the area of Computer Science. Dr. Seals studies the area of novice programmers utilizing visual programming techniques, user interface design projects to improve interaction design, and game design & development and the dimensions games can add to computer literacy. She has a vested interested in programs that are community centered, increase diversity in technology, and targeted at helping today's youth strive for a better tomorrow. Seals continuously works with programs that provide computer interventions for students in the elementary, middle and high schools in the local area.
Kim Yohannan is responsible the EMC Academic Alliance program in North America. Previously, she managed the global EMC Centera ISV Partner Program. Before EMC, she worked at Xplana Learning, an educational software company, as their Senior Director of Operations and at Nortel Networks where she was part of the certification exam team and was responsible for the NetKnowledge Program which provided curriculum to academic institutions. Before Nortel, Kim spent seven years as a primary school teacher with a focus in English as a Second Language (ESL).