Dr. Dena Haritos Tsamitis has served as director of Carnegie Mellon University’s (CMU) Information Networking Institute (INI) since 2004. As a first-generation college student who today is the only female department head in CMU's College of Engineering, her professional journey is far from traditional. Dena’s efforts have touched the lives of more than 2,000 alumni worldwide from the INI’s graduate programs in information networking, security and mobility.
Under her direction, the INI spanned globally to offer programs in Greece, Portugal, and Japan, and led the innovative design of bicoastal programs offered in Silicon Valley. Dena has served as Principal Investigator on several key National Science Foundation initiatives, raising more than $25M in funding for cybersecurity programs. As a champion for all students, Dena is a passionate advocate and mentor for women and underrepresented minorities in STEM. Securing financial support through scholarships and partnerships is one of her key initiatives to increase diversity in the cybersecurity field. By removing financial barriers to a graduate degree from Carnegie Mellon, Dena works to develop the next generation of technology leaders and changemakers.
For Dena's full bio, please visit: https://www.cmu.edu/ini/about/team/tsamitis.html