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Seal of the CAE Community
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CAE Community of Practice Cyber Defense

National Awards and Recognitions

NCAE-C Seal

Initiative Co-Chairs

  • Anne Kohnke - University of Detroit Mercy

  • Yair Levy - Nova Southeastern University 

Initiative Committee Members

  • Stephen Miller - Eastern New Mexico University - Ruidoso Branch Community College (PoS Validation/CAE Peer Reviewer Recognitions)

  • Stephen Troupe - WhatCom Community College (Mentor Awards & PSR Reviewer Recognitions) 

  • Paige Flores - SecureEd/Towson University (CLARK Contributors Recognitions)

CoP-CD National Community Service Awards and Recognitions Initiative

This initiative is aimed at recognizing all of the dedicated individuals around the nation who generously contribute their time and effort to the CAE-CD Community. The initiative co-chairs also solicit yearly the annual top CAE Reviewers and Mentors from the Candidates and Peer Review National Center. The annual National Awards and Recognitions are provided during the CAE in Cybersecurity Annual Symposium.

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The CAE CoP-CD Community provides the following award and recognition categories:

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For the annual CAE-CD National Community Awards and Recognitions, please see the list of awardees. 

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The 2026 CAE CoP-CD Community Service Awards: 

  • Dr. Gursel Serpen, National Science Foundation (NSF) – For Outstanding Contribution to the CAE Community

  • Dr. Li Yang, National Science Foundation (NSF) – For Outstanding Contribution to the CAE Community

  • Dr. Seth Hamman, Cedarville University – For Outstanding Contribution to the CAE Community

  • Stephen Miller, Eastern New Mexico University – Ruidoso – For Outstanding Contribution to the CAE-CD Community

  • Dr. Jake Mihevc, Mohawk Valley Community College – For Outstanding Contribution to the CAE-CD Community

  • Dr. Dr. Stu Steiner    Eastern Washington University – For Outstanding Contribution to the CAE-CD Community

  • Dr. Sandra Blanke, University of Dallas – For Outstanding Contribution to the CAE-CD Community

  • Gretchen Bliss, University of Colorado Colorado Springs – For Outstanding Contribution to the CAE-CD Community

  • Dr. Tobi West, Coastline College – For Outstanding Contribution to the CAE-CD Community

  • Paige Flores, USCSB – For Outstanding Contribution to the CAE-CD Community

  • Leah Carter, SecureEd – For Outstanding Contribution to the CAE-CD Community

  • Amy Hysell, USCSB – For Outstanding Contribution to the CAE-CD Community

  • Vanessa Zaldivar, USCSB – For Outstanding Contribution to the CAE-CD Community

  • Alexander Edsell, USCSB – For Outstanding Contribution to the CAE-CD Community

  • Hannah Samy, USCSB – For Outstanding Contribution to the CAE-CD Community

 

 

The 2026 CAE CoP-CD Community Service Recognition For Outstanding Contribution to the CAE-CD Community: 

  • James D. Ashley III, CSUSB

  • Dr. Daniel P. Manson, Cal Poly Pomona

  • Dr. Faisal Kaleem, Metropolitan State University

  • Dr. Tirthankar Ghosh, University of New Haven

  • Anthony Pinto, University of West Florida

  • Dr. Michael Nowatkowski, Augusta University

  • Anna Carlin, Fullerton College

  • Kelli Burgin, Montreat College

  • Dr. David Zeichick, California State University, Chico

  • Dr. Diego Tibaquirá, Miami Dade College

  • Dr. Deanne Cranford-Wesley, North Carolina Central University

  • Stanley M. Kostka, Moraine Valley Community College

  • Dr. Bei-Tseng “Bill” Chu, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

  • Dr. Stanley Mierzwa, Kean University

  • Dr. Michael Ramage, Murray State University

  • Haley Crabtree, Terra State Community College

  • Dr. Mark Lawrence, New Mexico State University

  • Dr. Deanne Cranford-Wesley, North Carolina Central University

  • Dr. Idongesit Mkpong-Ruffin, Florida A&M University

  • Dr. Debasis Bhattacharya, University of Hawaii Maui College

  • Michael Burt, NCyTE

  • Dr. Susan Frank, Suffolk County Community College

  • Michael Kelly, Community College of Rhode Island

  • Dr. Michael Nizich, New York Institute of Technology

  • Dr. Manghui (Michael) Tu, Purdue University Northwest

  • Mandy Reininger, Chemeketa Community College

  • Crystal Dye, Southwest Virginia Community College

  • Dr. Doug Jacobson, Iowa State University

  • Dr. Randall Joyce, Murray State University

  • Matthew McCullough, Alexandria Technical and Community College

  • Ed Skoudis, SANS Technology Institute

  • Gary Sparks, Metropolitan Community College

  • Skip Berry, Riverside Community College

  • Terri Johnson Akse, University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS)

  • Pam Schmelz, Ivy Tech Community College

  • Rene Tejon, Nova Southeastern University

  • Litany Lineberry, Hinds Community College

  • Luis Alberto Tatis Morales, Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico – San Juan

  • Deveshree Nayak, University of Washington

  • Thomas Hill, Montreat College

  • Michael Franz, Towson University

  • Satchit Hedge, Touro University

  • Dr. Tahir Khan, Western Illinois University

  • Dr. Kristine Christensen, Moraine Valley Community College

  • Dr. Blair Taylor, Towson University

  • Julia Armstrong, Ohio State University

  • Denise Carroll, Simmons University

  • Dr. Waleed Farag, Indiana University of Pennsylvania

  • Amy Hertel, Texas State Technical College

  • Sebena Masline, Florida State College at Jacksonville

  • Katrinia McNeal, Mt. Hood Community College

  • Debra McCusker, Alamance Community College

  • Moussavi, Shamsi, Massachusetts Bay Community College

  • Kay Ogilvie, Blue Ridge Community and Technical College

  • Dr. Sergio A. Salinas Monroy, Wichita State University

  • Dr. Alper Yayla, University of Tampa

  • Joel Caminer, New York University

  • Abhijit Chitnis, New York University

  • Tony Chen, College of DuPage

  • Nicole Dyess, Eastern Florida State College

  • Bill Gardner, Marshall University

  • Michael W. Russell, Pittsburgh Technical College

  • Dr. Christopher Simpson, National University

  • Karla Carter, Bellevue University

  • Dr. George Dimitoglou, Hood College

  • Crystal Dye, Southwest Virginia Community College

  • Dr. Doug Jacobson, Iowa State University

  • Matt McCullough, Alexandria Technical and Community College

  • Alex Hayes, John A. Logan College

  • Jeanette Geller, SUNY Rockland Community College

  • Amy Hertel, Texas State Technical College

The 2026 CAE CoP-CD Community Service Recognition For Top CAE-CD Peer Reviewers: 

  • Al Heitkamper, Oklahoma City Community College

  • Fernando Seminario, Colorado State University

  • Nelbert "Doc" St. Clair, National University

  • Maxim Gorbachevsky, Utica University

  • Jackie Armstrong, Georgia Southern University

  • Leslie Corbo, Utica University

  • Marrci Conner, Whatcom Community College

  • Mary McDonald, Hagerstown Community College

  • Chris Rondeau, Bossier Parish Community College

  • Gary Sparks, Metropolitan Community College

  • Alla Webb, Montgomery College

  • Susan Frank, University of North Georgia

  • Tobi West, Coastline College

  • Tony Chen, River Valley Community College

The 2026 CAE CoP-CD Community Service Recognition For Top CAE-CD Per-Submission Review (PSR) Reviewers: 

  • Angela Clark, University of South Alabama

  • Ayad Barsoum, University of Prince Edward Island

  • Brian Stokes, Southern New Hampshire University

  • Cheryl Hinds, Norfolk State University

  • Fernando Seminario, New York University

  • Kim Muschalek, San Antonio College

  • Mary McDonald, Texas A&M University-San Antonio

  • Michael Burt, Purdue University

  • Michael Nowatkowski, Augusta University

  • Nelbert St. Clair, University of the Virgin Islands

  • Stanley Mierzwa, Kean University

  • Zachary Lewis, University of North Georgia

The 2026 CAE CoP-CD Community Service Recognition For Top CAE-CD Mentors: 

  • Chris Rondeau, Bossier Parish Community College

  • Dianne Burke, University of South Alabama

  • Ervin Frenzel, Collin College

  • Gary Sparks, Metropolitan Community College

  • Gretchen Bliss, Pikes Peak State College

  • Holly Yuan, University of Wisconsin-Stout

  • Joseph Murdock, University of Colorado Denver

  • Kathleen Czurda-Page, Moorpark College

  • Leslie Corbo, Utica University

  • Mark Neufville, Towson University

  • Max Gorbachevsky, Capitol Technology University

  • Nabeel Yousef, Old Dominion University

  • Tony Chen, City College of San Francisco

The 2026 Top CLARK Contributors Recognition: 

  • James Ashley, California State University, San Bernardino

  • Alex Hillock, California State University, San Bernardino

  • Aeron Zentner, Coastline Community College

  • Abhishek Parakh, Kennesaw State University

  • Mahadevan Subramaniam, University of Nebraska- Omaha

  • Jake Hawley, Michigan Technological University

  • Yu Cai, Michigan Technological University

  • Andy Groman, Tiffin University

  • Nicklos See, Bismarck State College

  • Manaak Gupta, Tennessee Tech university

The 2026 Top CLARK Content Reviewers Recognition: 

  • Shamik Sengupta, University of Nevada, Reno

  • Nancy LaTourrette, University of Nevada, Reno

  • Luis Tatis Morales, Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico

  • Bill Doherty, University of Nevada, Reno

  • Xiaoxue Zhang, University of Nevada, Reno

  • Zoey Hu, University of Nevada, Reno

  • Josh Huhmann, Chippewa Valley Technical College

  • Alex Torres, Sierra College

  • Ahmed Alzaidy, Florida State College At Jacksonville

  • Nyteisha Bookert, South Carolina State University

The 2026 Top Competency Constructor Contributors Recognition: 

  • Douglas Rausch, Bellevue University

  • Joseph Brickley, University of Delaware

  • Syed Badruddoja, Sacramento State

  • Bill Chu, University of North Carolina, Charlotte

  • Roberto Vivas, Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico

  • Tahir Khan, Western Illinois University

  • Ram Basnet, Colorado Mesa University

  • Haydar Majeed, University of San Diego

  • Anjum Razzaque, Western Illinois University

  • Jon deGoicoechea, Florida A&M University

Updated: April 30, 2026

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