Posted on October 3, 2021 by Wendy Frost
Cyber security expert Nicole Beebe has been named a fellow in the third cohort of the IAspire Leadership Academy, a national leadership program for academics in the STEM fields. The program aims to help STEM faculty from underrepresented backgrounds ascend to leadership roles at institutions of higher learning.
Beebe is chair of the Department of Information Systems and Cyber Security and the Melvin Lachman Chair in Entrepreneurship in the Carlos Alvarez College of Business. She is a leading expert in digital forensics, cyber security and data analytics who has over 20 years of industry and government experience in information security and digital forensics.
“I feel very passionate about developing leaders from underrepresented populations in STEM,” said Beebe, who earned her Ph.D. from UTSA in information technology. “I’ve spent my whole career in engineering, cyber and analytics as a female in male-dominated fields. This leadership program will allow me to expand my network and perspective by learning how individuals at other universities and from various backgrounds leverage their experiences to benefit their institutions.”
The IAspire Leadership Academy provides professional development for academic leaders from underrepresented groups so they can aspire to and succeed in more senior leadership roles, thus broadening participation in academic leadership. Fellows learn effective executive leadership skills for increasingly complex higher education environments as well as strategies for influencing institutional transformation in their current and future leadership positions. The 27 participating faculty and administrators in the 2021-2022 cohort were selected through a competitive, holistic review of their applications.
“We are excited that Nicole gets to participate in this opportunity, which will enrich her career and leadership skills and as a result, benefit our institution,” added Heather Shipley , UTSA senior vice provost for academic affairs and dean of the University College. “Faculty play a central role in the success of our diverse student body. We are pleased to be a part of the Aspire Alliance and the important work they are doing.”
In 2019, UTSA was selected as one of 15 public research universities to participate in the inaugural cohort of the National Science Foundation-funded Aspire Alliance , an effort that is advancing the institution’s destinations to be a model for student success, a great public research university and an exemplar for strategic growth and innovative excellence. As part of the Aspire Alliance, UTSA is engaged in a three-year institutional change effort to cultivate a more inclusive and diverse campus culture, develop inclusive practices for all STEM faculty, and implement effective recruitment, hiring and retention practices to diversify STEM faculty.
— Wendy Frost
