ITI Faculty and Advising

MBA with emphasis in technology delivery and marketing, Arizona State University W.P. Carey School of Business; BS, management information systems, University of Wisconsin

Ben is a management consultant with extensive experience in project management in the construction, technology, government, and health care industries. Ben's goal in teaching is to give back to a profession he loves by sharing his experience and helping to develop our next generation of leaders.

• INET 2001 – Fundamentals of IT
• INET 3102 – Web Infrastructure
• INET 4031 – Introduction to Systems
• INET 4082W − IT Infrastructure Projects and Processes
• INET 4083W – Systems II: Systems Engineering and Project Management

MBA, Cybersecurity Management, Saint Leo University; BAS, Cybersecurity and BS, Computer Science, Pasco-Hernando State College

Khari Clark has over seven years of experience in cybersecurity, specializing in vulnerability management, risk assessment, and enhancing security postures in enterprise environments. She has held roles ranging from analyst to cybersecurity program lead, successfully developing strategies to streamline processes and mitigate risks effectively. Khari holds industry-recognized certifications, including Network+, Security+, CySA+, GSEC, and Certified Scrum Master, and she has completed several advanced trainings with SANS Institute. With a passion for blending technical expertise with practical application, Khari is dedicated to educating and empowering the next generation of IT professionals.

• INET 4084 – Agile and Strategic IT Project Management
• INET 4165 – Security I: Cybersecurity Principles
• INET 4172 – Penetration Testing and Vulnerability Assessment

MBA with emphasis in operations management and finance, University of Pittsburgh, Katz Graduate School of Business; BS, physics, University of Pittsburgh

Eric DeClouet is a seasoned IT professional with a diverse background and over two decades of experience leading IT initiatives across many sectors (retail, financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, and consulting) and leadership roles at companies like Medtronic, 3M, BestBuy, Ameriprise, Allianz, Inovalon, and UnitedHealth. With broad technical expertise (portfolio management, enterprise architecture, data management, integration, virtualization) and business acumen (finance, manufacturing, logistics, healthcare). Eric is adept at "teaching through analogy," i.e., tackling the challenge of embracing the new by using analogies to what's familiar in the learner's background.

• INET 3350 – Special Topics in IT Infrastructure (AI Prompt Engineering)
• INET 4062 – Data Science II: Advanced Analytics and AI

MBA, and BA in quantitative methods and computer science, University of St. Thomas

Christopher is a cybersecurity entrepreneur and educator with nearly two decades of experience in offensive security and IT leadership. He founded White Oak Security, a penetration testing firm recognized for deep-dive assessments for financial, healthcare, and technology organizations, and led the company through its acquisition by Cyber Advisors. Christopher continues to advise organizations on security strategy and risk management and mentors emerging cybersecurity and technology leaders across Minnesota. He also cofounded the Rise Up Ninja Foundation, a nonprofit that expands access to youth sports and mentorship for underserved youth. These experiences have honed his ability to craft and execute strategic visions, build high-performing teams, and ensure financial stability.

• INET 4002 – Foundations of Networking
• INET 4007 – Security II: Cloud Security and Strategy

BS, computer science, Mankato State University

Carl Follstad began his IT career writing device drivers for VMS systems, moving to large systems management. In 2001, as senior systems engineer for EMC Corporation, he focused on the storage industry, advising on strategy in enterprise business continuity, data protection, classification of data, and resilient storage subsystem design. Beginning in 2004, he managed the University of Minnesota Data Management Services group, which is responsible for architecture of the centralized system backup and SAN storage. In 2007, he returned to EMC as a pre-sales technical consultant. He now works for Dell Technologies, post EMC acquisition, as an advisory storage architect.

• INET 2001 – Fundamentals of IT
• INET 4001 – Foundations of Operating Systems
• INET 4032 – Systems I: Enterprise Storage and Protection
• INET 4033 – Cloud Essentials

MS, security technologies, University of Minnesota; BS, electronic engineering, University of Tunis

Medo Hafnaoui brings more than ten years of diverse professional experience, with the past six years focused on identity and access management (IAM). He has held roles ranging from service engineer to senior platform architect, leading teams and delivering complex projects and implementations across multiple industries. Medo holds industry-recognized IAM certifications, including SailPoint, and has completed advanced training across several identity platforms. Passionate about bridging the gap between academia and industry, he is committed to educating and empowering the next generation of IT professionals.

• INET 4153 – Introduction to Security: Policy and Regulation

PhD and MSc., computer networking, Sheffield Hallam University, UK; BSc., software engineering, University of Science and Culture, Tehran, Iran

Siavosh Haghighi Movahed is an academic and industry professional specializing in computer networking and network security, with over 20 years combined academic and industry experience.  He teaches a broad range of subjects, including routing, switching, network design, troubleshooting, security and network automation. As a certified expert-level Cisco Networking Academy instructor, he has led the design and delivery of industry-aligned curricula based on Cisco certifications, from associate to expert level, across both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. A winner of multiple teaching awards, Siavosh is deeply committed to innovative, practice-oriented instruction that prepares students for real-world networking roles.

• INET 4041 – Networking II: Next-Gen Networking Technologies

PhD, systems engineering, Colorado State University; MS, mechanical engineering, Naval Postgraduate School; BA, political science, University of Kansas

Ryan Hilger is an active duty Navy officer, program manager, systems engineer and strategist with nearly two decades of experience leading complex technical programs at the intersection of engineering, security and innovation. He currently serves as a senior program manager overseeing large-scale unmanned and undersea systems portfolios. He has worked extensively across defense acquisition, modeling and simulation, and emerging technology integration. Dr. Hilger has been a Non-Resident Senior Fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Cyber Statecraft Initiative, the chief engineer of a nuclear-powered submarine and an information systems security manager, among other roles. His teaching and research focus on systems thinking, resilience, sociotechnical complexity and practical decision-making in high-stakes environments.

• INET 4153 – Introduction to Security: Policy & Regulation

BASc, Information Technology Infrastructure, University of Minnesota

Ian-Mathew's work focuses on the development of resilient big data infrastructure, large-scale data engineering, and its application in data science. His expertise includes infrastructure, software engineering, and risk management in the finance and retail sectors. He has also served as an enterprise technical manager of open-source software and platforms used for data science and analysis. Ian-Mathew values building effective engineering cultures in teams and foregrounding ethical considerations in the development and deployment of technology. He also has more than a decade of small-team leadership experience as a veteran of the US Army and is an active contributor to initiatives to make tech more inclusive and accessible for all.

• INET 2001 – Fundamentals of IT
• INET 4061 – Data Science I: Machine Learning Essentials
• INET 4062 – Data Science II: Advanced Analytics and AI
• INET 4707 – Introduction to Databases

DBA, information systems management, Walden University; MSIT in business intelligence and analytics, MBA in accounting, and BSIT in database management, Purdue University Global; BASc., management and supervision, Broward College

Dr. Idahosa has taught at Miami Dade College, Keiser University, Washington State University, Seattle Colleges and Capella University, among others, in the areas of management information systems, business analytics, cybersecurity, data analytics and software development. His research agenda centers on the adoption, governance and effectiveness of emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, cybersecurity frameworks and data analytics, as well as strengthening organizational decision-making, security posture and operational performance. His peer-reviewed doctoral research and ongoing scholarly work contribute to applied and practice-oriented conversations in information systems and technology management. His teaching philosophy emphasizes experiential learning, real-world case analysis, project-based instruction and technology-enhanced pedagogy, ensuring strong alignment with workforce readiness, accreditation expectations and institutional learning outcomes.

• INET 4007 – Security II: Cloud Security and Strategy
• INET 4062 – Data Science II: Advanced Analytics and AI
• INET 4082W – IT Infrastructure Projects and Processes

MS, epidemiology, with a concentration in public health data science and health economics, McGill University; BS, biochemistry and molecular biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Aria Jordan is a data scientist at the University of Minnesota Foundation, where she manages datasets, develops predictive models, and creates data visualizations in the service of fundraising for the University's various programs and facilities. To her current job in fundraising, Aria also brings her expertise in public health. While at McGill, she developed machine learning and economic models to predict the prevalence of tuberculosis in vulnerable populations and examine various prevention measures. In her free time, she loves rock climbing, reading fantasy and nonfiction books, and visiting museums.

• INET 4061 – Data Science I: Machine Learning Essentials

MS, computer science with specialization in data science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Bachelor of Engineering, with specialization in computer science and engineering, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India

Ashish Kumar is a senior enterprise architect in artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) at Amazon Web Services (AWS), a subsidiary of Amazon, where he assists customers to build cutting-edge generative AI-based solutions to solve business challenges. Ashish has held leadership roles at organizations such as Change Healthcare, McKesson, and UnitedHealth Group. He was part of a team at Change Healthcare that was awarded a patent and published a medical imaging-related research paper. He holds multiple certifications from AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure.

• INET 3101 – C Programming: Language and Applications
• INET 3102 – Web Infrastructure
• INET 3350 – Special Topics in IT Infrastructure (Intro to Cloud Data Engineering; Intro to AI and Machine Learning)

BS, computer science, University of Minnesota

Mark Langanki has been working in the IT industry since 1989. His work centers on computing as it relates to telephony, networked applications, and distributed systems. Mark is the CTO of ConvergeOne and is leading innovation around the next model of IT and cloud services. He teaches at the University of Minnesota about operating systems, network programming, languages, and IT operations, and believes that learning doesn’t stop once a student graduates. Mark is dedicated to ensuring that students learn topics that will be applicable in the tech industry.

• INET 3101 – C Programming: Language and Applications
• INET 4001 – Foundations of Operating Systems
• INET 4021 – Dev Ops I: Foundations of Network Coding
• INET 4707 – Introduction to Databases

PhD, leadership, Virginia Commonwealth University; MEd., instructional leadership, University of North Florida; BS, elementary education, Florida State University

Dr. Lapke’s background is a blend of leadership, business, and education. She is a visiting assistant professor of Leadership at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia. She was an associate dean and instructor of business administration at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, VA, and she has taught at other universities in the United States and internationally. Her research focuses on leadership as a means for securing information systems, power, and ethics in green technology and security policy implementation. As a lifelong learner, she is currently completing a postgraduate degree in accounting at the University of Virginia. Dr. Lapke is dedicated to the teaching profession and gives her students the most effective learning environment possible.

• INET 3011W – Social Impact of Information Technology

PhD, information systems, Virginia Commonwealth University; MS and BS, computer and information science, University of North Florida

Dr. Lapke is an associate professor of information systems and cybersecurity at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, VA. Before that, he was an assistant professor and associate professor at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, VA. He has taught across the information systems and cybersecurity curricula at regional and large R1 universities. He has published research in many outlets, including Computers & Security, Health Policy and Technology, AIS Educator Journal, and The International Journal of Information Security and Privacy. Dr. Lapke is also active in industry as a cybersecurity consultant and software developer.

• INET 3011W – Social Impact of Information Technology

MSDD, software design and development, University of Saint Thomas; BA, psychology, College of Saint Scholastica

Scott Lee-Eichenwald has diverse professional experience in social sciences and medical technology, with over 20+ years with medical devices companies including Guidant, Boston Scientific, Medtronic, and Smiths Medical. He also has experience providing enterprise interoperability software solutions for Infor's healthcare division. He has managed research and development and many global technology implementation projects. In addition, he has been teaching online for 15+ years. He is published in Healthcare Information Technology and received his Six Sigma Green Belt certification from the University of Saint Thomas in 2012. Scott holds an Information Systems Security Certificate from Colorado Technical University.

• HSM 4043 – Project and Program Management in Healthcare Management
• HSM 4065 – Information Privacy and Security in Healthcare Management
• INET 1001 – Survey of Information Technology
• INET 3011W – Social Impact of Information Technology
• INET 4051 – IT Infrastructure Operations – Capstone

MBA in marketing management, University of St. Thomas; BA in sociology, University of Minnesota

Perry has been managing IT projects for some of the largest companies and organizations in the country for the last 15 years. He has worked in the finance and health care industries and with the federal government. Most recently Perry has been managing cybersecurity projects for large health care providers. He holds a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification through PMI and a Health Care Information Security and Privacy Practitioner (HCISPP) certification through ISC2.

• INET 2001 – Fundamentals of IT
• INET 4083W – Systems II: Systems Engineering and Project Management
• INET 4709 – Data Management I: Data Systems Design

PhD, Information Technology, University of the Cumberlands; MIS, cybersecurity and CIS, networking, Bellevue University

Dr. Ludwick has over 14 years of experience in the information technology field, with a mix of experience in both the private sector and higher education. He has held roles in IT leadership and network administration as well as focusing on teaching in recent years. He is passionate about providing students opportunities to gain real-world experience in the classroom and help better prepare students for opportunities to gain employment in the IT field.

• INET 4001 – Foundations of Operating Systems

EdD, Educational Leadership and Organizational Leadership, and MA, Organizational Management, Concordia University-St Paul; BA, natural science, St. John’s University.

Dr. Masterman has been a technology leader delivering value for over 25 years to organizations like Target, Wells Fargo, Rollerblade, UCare, and Deepwatch. He has been teaching and designing courses for over 15 years for all levels of higher ed. He is the vice chair of the District Planning Advisory Council helping lead the effort to advise on programs and services for K–12 students and families in District 279. He is passionate about helping prepare students to thrive in the future workforce.

• INET 4001 – Foundations of Operating Systems
• INET 4032 – Systems I: Enterprise Storage and Protection
• INET 4121 – DevOps II: Advanced DevSecOps and Automation
• INET 4709 – Data Management I: Data Systems Design
• INET 4711 – Data Management II: Distributed Database Architecture

PhD, information technology, Capella University; MBA, information technology management, University of St. Thomas; BA, management information systems, Augsburg University

As a seasoned IT professional with over 20 years of experience leading strategic projects, Dr. Nyariki is a recognized leader in information technology management. His research, driven by a passion for innovative solutions to real-world challenges, focuses on information security and advancing technology. He is committed to empowering students with the knowledge, skills, and inspiration needed to thrive in the dynamic field of information technology management. Through his teaching and research, he aims to cultivate the next generation of IT leaders who will drive positive change and innovation.

• INET 2001 – Fundamentals of IT
• INET 3011W – Social Impact of Information Technology
• INET 4051 – IT Infrastructure Operations: Capstone

MBA, Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota; MA, information assurance and security, Capella University; BA, philosophy/logics, Brown University

As an enterprise architect leading architecture teams, Norman Owens has built cloud and security service solutions totaling over $648M since 2013 for the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Kansas, and Georgia and at the California State University system. Norman is currently a senior solution architect at Amazon Web Services (AWS). He is passionate about enabling the new leaders of IT transformation to become tomorrow’s business disrupters. He challenges students to be the best predictors of the future by getting ready to make it and backs up this challenge with AWS-based hands-on labs in his classes.

• INET 4034 – Cloud Architecture and Management

BS, business administration, University of Wisconsin-River Falls

John Raabe currently leads the internal IT audit function at a major health care provider. Previously, he led IT systems administration staff, and he has designed and supported enterprise-class networks and systems. As a certified information systems auditor (CISA), he is particularly interested in IT controls, risk management, compliance, and network design and enterprise IT management issues. He also consults privately on system administration and network management.

• INET 4002 Foundations of Networking
• INET 4153 Introduction to Security: Policy and Regulation

PhD in organizational leadership, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota; MBA and Master of Information Technology, University of Texas; Master of Health Informatics, University of Minnesota; BS in engineering, NED Engineering University of Pakistan

Dr. Saeed’s background is a blend of engineering, information technology, and education, with more than 15 years of related experience at Westinghouse, General Nanosystems, General Dynamics C4 Systems, Samsung, and others in managing and delivering various IT projects. Her experience includes leadership roles in application and web development, database design, IT infrastructure system modifications, process and product development, and operational improvements. She has worked as a program director of information technology and assistant adjunct professor of ITIS at the Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, where she designed and managed three degree programs in areas such as information technology, business administration, and accounting.

• INET 4007 – Security II: Cloud Security and Strategy
• INET 4041 – Networking II: Next-Gen Networking Technologies
• INET 4061 – Data Science I: Machine Learning Essentials
• INET 4165 – Security I: Cybersecurity Principles

BA, history, with a minor in management information systems, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

Daniel Stocker is senior director of infrastructure and production for the University of Minnesota, where he leads the backbone technologies that enable the University’s mission and strategic imperatives. His primary focus is the development of leaders and the creation of partnerships that support modernization of security, technology, and process, including site reliability engineering, DevOps, PAM, scaled Lean/Agile delivery, cybersecurity, hybrid cloud strategy, platforms, storage, databases, and PeopleSoft. Dan has held significant technology leadership roles at organizations such as Cargill and United Health Group, where his focuses included global IT resiliency, mission-critical lifecycle service, rollout of application server platforms, and technical resource development.

• INET 3102 – Web Infrastructure
• INET 3350 – Special Topics in IT Infrastructure (Intro to Cloud Data Engineering; Intro to AI and Machine Learning)

BA, business marketing management and global business, Bethel University

With over 20 years of experience, Glenn Toby is an expert in enterprise technology and security infrastructure. Having held key roles at Unisys, Cray and Getronics, he specializes in designing secure, scalable network systems and managing complex data center operations. Glenn’s leadership extends to strategic IT service delivery, risk management and the implementation of robust security frameworks. A proven collaborator, he has successfully managed third-party vendors and built cross-functional teams to support outsourced client services. As a CompTIA Subject Matter Expert and multicertified professional, Glenn is also a dedicated mentor committed to professional development within the IT industry.

• INET 4007 – Security II: Cloud Security and Strategy
• INET 4153 – Introduction to Security: Policy and Regulation

MSc., biomedical sciences with a concentration in neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine; BS, neuroscience, Wright State University

Darnell K. Adrian Williams Jr. (Adrian) has a multidisciplinary background spanning psychiatric neuroimaging, digital health, computational psychiatry, big data and AI-driven diagnostics. His research training includes work at Harvard Medical School, Weill Cornell Medicine, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, where he has contributed to projects involving TMS-evoked fMRI, diffusion tensor imaging, deep learning for cancer detection and AI-assisted clinical decision systems. He has also served as adjunct faculty at Iona University, developing and delivering STEM-focused curricula for high school students. He is currently the chief operating officer of Focused Future LLC, a mental health technology startup developing AI-enabled assessment tools and digital health innovations to improve patient evaluation, clinician support and population-level mental health monitoring.

• INET 3011W – Social Impact of Information Technology
• INET 4082W – IT Infrastructure Projects and Processes

PhD, performance psychology, Grand Canyon University; MBA, information technology/finance, California Lutheran University; BA, psychology, California State University

Dr. Etsepatos Zenebe brings extensive experience from both academia and the corporate sector. She has over 12 years of leadership experience in information technology, with professional contributions to organizations including IBM, OSU Chemical Abstracts Service and JPMorgan Chase. She has served as an adjunct instructor at North Central University in Minneapolis, Grand Canyon University and the University of the People in California, where she integrated industry expertise with a strong commitment to teaching excellence and curriculum development. Her academic and professional specializations include information technology, data analytics, business administration, finance, management and psychology. At CCAPS, Dr. Zenebe is dedicated to preparing and mentoring the next generation of IT professionals and enhancing student engagement to support meaningful, real-world learning experiences.

• INET 4001 – Foundations of Operating Systems