Category: Outstanding Educator
Name: Diana Burley
Title: Executive Director; Professor, Human and Organizational Learning
Company: Institute for Information Infrastructure Protection; The George Washington University
Why nominated: As the executive director and chair of the Institute for Information Infrastructure Protection (I3P), Diana Burley has worked tirelessly to address cybersecurity challenges affecting society. By defining best practices in cybersecurity education and informing policy and practice through a holistic approach, she has taken the lead in developing the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.
Profile: Diana L. Burley has distinguished herself as a leader in cyber-education, focusing much of her talent in shaping the next generation of cybersecurity professionals by defining best practices for cybereducation and, as co-chair of the ACM/IEEE-Computer Society Joint Task Force on Cybersecurity Education, has helped shape global curricular guidelines, Cybersecurity 2017 (CSEC2017).
She came to her current stint as executive director and chair of the Institute for Information Infrastructure Protection and full professor of human & organizational learning at George Washington University (GW) from the National Science Foundation (NSF) where she management a multimillion dollar portfolio.
Her expert testimony before the House Committee on Science, Space & Technology Subcommittee on Research and Technology in February provided context on the cybersecurity workforce as well as covered recommendations for developing the workforce detailed in the CSIS Cyber Policy Task Force report. Burley provided lawmakers with actionable steps to bolster the cybersecurity workforce in an effort to meet growing threats.
Acting on behalf of the State Department, Burley also provided international cybersecurity training for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in which representatives from 10 nations participated.
Burley also co-chaired the US National Research Council Committee on Professionalizing the Nation's Cybersecurity Workforce in 2013.
What colleagues say: "Dr. Burley is truly an influencer in many areas of cybersecurity but particularly in building the profession, training cyber leaders, and in her leadership of the Institute for Information Infrastructure Protection. In fact, she was previously honored (2014) as Cybersecurity Educator of the year. But Diana's influence extends beyond her academic and organizational leadership; she truly works to open the profession and to create a firm foundation of skills and knowledge in cybersecurity. She is able to combine her technical acumen with a sound understanding of policy, education and research. She is creative, thoughtful and serves as a role model and mentor to many."
- Rhea Siers, (ret.) deputy associate director for policy, National Security Agency
