Duties
Advisory board members provide guidance, knowledge and feedback to the BS in Cybersecurity program administration in the following ways:
- Advise on alignment of curriculum with industry needs, current and anticipated
- Advise on how to showcase Clark’s BS in Cybersecurity program to students and employers
- Serve as an advocate/ambassador for the program
- Leverage their professional networks to
- help recruit qualified faculty/guest speakers
- create enrollment opportunities, e.g., B2B
- provide experiential learning opportunities for students
Board members are encouraged to lead/participate in other activities that will aid in nurturing and diversifying the talent pool in cybersecurity, e.g., serve as mentors to BS in Cybersecurity students; share insights in panel discussions.
Members
Ahmed Shafei
Ahmed Shafei is an accomplished expert and forward-thinking Leader in IT Management with focus on Security, Healthcare Technology, Voice UI and AI. He’s the Business Information Security Officer for Omnicom Health Group, a healthcare media company, and also the co-founder of CloudPixel, a tech company serving the healthcare industry.
Ahmed possesses over 20 years of experience in IT operations and Infosec with diverse expertise in building focused IT organizations. He demonstrates a valuable blend of technical and business knowledge with a proven track record leveraging cross-functional expertise to develop robust, impactful business solutions as part of large-scale initiatives. He’s effective in fostering cross-functional collaboration between technical and non-technical personnel.
Ahmed holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science, and an Executive MBA in Strategy and Finance. He also maintains CISSP certification.
Alan Ritacco
Alan Ritacco is an experienced leader and entrepreneur in academics, sciences, tech, gaming, and esports, where he has successfully led teams in scientific and technology driven areas of business and research. Alan has held senior level positions in higher education, Cybersecurity, High Performance Computing, and software development in tech and biotechnology space.
Alan is currently Associate Vice President for External Relations and Senior Fellow for Electronic Arts, Computer Science and Esports at Clark University, leading esports, innovation & entrepreneurship, curriculum (e.g., Cyber Security), and building institutional success in cross functional areas. Alan is a member of the Massachusetts Cybersecurity steering committee, where he authored the current framework for the Cyber Range for MassCyberCenter at MassTech Collaborative. Alan is also a board member and treasurer of the Worcester Public Library Foundation, an advisor to several startup Bio and Fintech companies, and a member of the Entrepreneurship for All (EforAll). Alan holds a PhD in computer science from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
Christina Mazzone
Christina Mazzone is the Global Managing Director of Corporate Information Security, Strategy and Performance at Omnicom Group, a global leader in marketing and corporate communications services. Prior to joining Omnicom Group, she held roles including Cybersecurity Risk Officer for PTC, a global computer software organization and leader in IoT and AR technologies, as well as Information Security Officer for both Brigham Health and Partners Continuing care, Harvard Medical teaching affiliates and member institutions of Mass General Brigham (formerly Partners Healthcare). In these roles, Christina was responsible for their respective Information Security programs across diverse workforce and services.
Outside of work, Christina volunteers on multiple Boards. Her greatest involvement is as an advisory board member, co-founder, former President, and most recently the University & College Community Outreach Chairman with the (ISC)2 Eastern Massachusetts chapter. (ISC)2 is the governing body for the CISSP certification. Her current and primary responsibility is to lead the chapter’s continued growth, with focus on educational seminars for their members and information security awareness for children, young professionals, and the elderly alike.
Christina has over 20 years of experience in Information Technology with focus on Telecommunications, Cybersecurity and Privacy. She is a SIM Regional Leadership Forum graduate, holding a Bachelor of Business Administration, Master of Science in Project Management with a specialization in Information Security, and maintains Cybersecurity Strategy, CISSP, CIPT and CIPP/US certifications.
Oscar Ornelas
Oscar Ornelas serves as Vice President, Chief Product Security Officer (CPSO) for PTC, a leading technology company that provides best-in-class solutions to achieve digital transformation. Oscar provides subject matter expert (SME) support to internal product development teams in application security best practices and the continuous adoption of proven security techniques for use within CAD, PLM, IoT, and AR. Oscar has over 25 years of software development experience, many of these years in the security space developing solutions for Industrial Automation, IT Enterprise, and Public Safety (Police, Fire, EMS). Prior to PTC, Oscar served as Director of Product and Application Security at Aspen Technologies where he led the Secure SDLC program.
Oscar (CISSP, CSSLP) received a Master’s Degree in Computer Science from Georgia Institute of Technology in 2019, a Master of Science in Engineering Management from Tufts University in 2013, and a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology from California State University, Los Angeles.
As an advisory board member, “I look forward to assisting with curriculum development as well as staying abreast of the rapidly changing Cybersecurity landscape.”