Members of the Penn State community are invited to join the College of Information Sciences and Technology for the next event in the IST Identity Talks series, “Women in Cyber,” which will be held virtually from 12 to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, March 15. Interested participants should register on the Identity Talks website.

In the talk series, IST alumni from underrepresented backgrounds share the diverse experiences they’ve gained and the challenges and opportunities they’ve faced through their educational and professional journeys.

Alumni panelists for the talk on March 15 include:

• Nicole Buitrago, a cybersecurity consultant at PwC, who earned bachelor's degrees in security and risk analysis and information sciences and technology from the College of IST in 2018.
• Victoria Gibilterra, a cyber defense manager at Avanade, who focuses on advising and transforming clients’ cyber defense strategies and operations through the design and implementation of predominantly Microsoft Threat Protection technologies. She consults with teams ranging from medium to large global enterprise clients. Her daily responsibilities involve leading a team of consultants to assist and grow Avanade’s cyber defense practice. Victoria earned her bachelor’s degree in security and risk analysis from the College of IST in 2016.
• Himanshi Patel, a senior information security analyst at Erie Insurance Group, who has been working in the cybersecurity industry since 2016 and got involved in the field because of its dynamic nature. She uses skills and education gained at Penn State in real life to protect her organization's infrastructure from both internal and external threats. Himanshi has been involved with various organizations to promote STEM education and provide mentoring to those in need. Outside of Erie, she has been involved in various intelligence and threat-sharing organizations local to the Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Buffalo areas.
• Annie Schoen, head of cyber administration and management office at GEICO, who is a passionate people leader who helps to establish new cybersecurity management functions focused on talent management, security awareness, and associate experience. She earned her bachelor’s degree in security and risk analysis from the College of IST in 2019.
• Nandita Suresh, an associate at PwC, where she works in the firm’s Data Risk and Privacy advisory practice. She brings an organized, detail-oriented approach to building and maintaining technology-enabled privacy programs, functions, and operations. She earned her bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity analytics and operations from the College of IST in 2021.

The IST Identity Talks series aims to inspire an open dialogue for students and alumni and provide unique viewpoints to help all attendees be better prepared to thrive in diverse professional and personal communities. To date, more than 50 IST alumni and friends have shared their stories and unique vantage points as panelists in the talk series. Find details of upcoming talks and view recordings of past discussions on the Identity Talks website.