Advisory Council Members – Center for Cybersecurity Innovation & Outreach

Kristen Constant serves as Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Iowa State University. She holds the rank of Morrill Professor and is the Wilkinson Professor of Interdisciplinary Engineering for Materials Science and Engineering. As CIO, Kristen Constant is committed to promoting inclusivity, transparency and collaboration within the information technology services department and across the university. In addition to research on photonic materials, Kristen is involved in research, service and outreach related to broadening participation in engineering, enhancing recruitment and retention, as well as advancing underrepresented groups in STEM fields. She is a fellow of American Association for the Advancement of Science and American Association for Engineering Education. Constant serves as co-lead for the WorkCyte Phase II: Student Information and Receivables implementation. In her role, Constant identifies and secures campus resources, partners with consultants, and collaborates with other educational institutions. She guides functional area leaders, operational owners and project management teams as they collaborate and communicate through decision-making and implementation processes.

Xhavit Gashi, is currently an adjunct lecturer at RIT Kosovo and is the Head of Cyber Defense & Security (CACTTUS) at one of the biggest and first IT companies in Kosovo. Main goals focused on increasing capabilities in Cyber Security, Defense and Security systems, building Public Private Partnership and partnerships with elite international partners in this field such as FireEye, Mandiant (TRELLIX) and other similar international companies, and connecting and developing joint educational programs between Cacttus Education Department and DMACC (Des Moines Community College), Facebook and other organizations. He is also the Founder & CEO of Gashi Strategies LLC which focused on building strategies on national and international development related to issues such as education, defense & security, economic development, and cyber security. He was the Former External Advisor to A MCHAM Kosovo, Former Consul General of the Republic of Kosovo in Iowa, and the Former Kosovo Security Force Attache in Washinton DC. He has a Master’s in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College and a BA in English Language and Literature from the University of Prishtina. He is married to Valentina and has three children.

Peter Grandgeorge, a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa, manages national security and resiliency-related programs for Berkshire Hathaway Energy. Pete has led a multinational cybersecurity enhancement initiatives, development of strategic relationships and business continuity projects driving toward a more resilient organization and community. Pete serves on numerous industry committees at both the state and national level, including chairing the Transformer Transportation Working Group, Cyber Mutual Assistance Executive Committee and as a board member of the Safeguard Iowa Partnership. During his career, Pete has responded to more than 20 federally-declared disasters in multiple U.S. States. Pete previously worked at Iowa Homeland Security & Emergency Management and three Iowa law enforcement agencies. Pete maintains certifications including the Certified Protection Professional, Certified Business Continuity Professional and Certified Information Systems Security Professional.

Doug Jacobson is the director of the Center for Cybersecurity Innovation & Outreach and is a University Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Dr. Jacobson joined the faculty in 1985 after receiving a PhD degree in Computer Engineering from Iowa State University in 1985. He is also director of the NSF I/U CRC Center for Information Protection and the Internet-Scale Event and Attack Generation Environment (ISEAGE). Dr. Jacobson teaches network security and information warfare. Dr. Jacobson also works with local law enforcement and is a computer forensics analyst for the Iowa State University Police department. Dr. Jacobson’s current funded research is targeted at developing robust countermeasures for network-based security exploits and large scale attack simulation environments. A few funded projects have led to patents and have been successfully transferred industry. Related, Dr. Jacobson is the founder of Palisade Systems, Inc., an Ames-based company marketing Internet management and security devices. Dr. Jacobson has received two R&D 100 awards for his security technology and has two patents in the area of computer security. Dr. Jacobson has given over 50 presentations in the area of computer security and has testified in front of the U.S. Senate committee of the Judiciary on security issues associated with peer-to-peer networking.

Shannon (Shane) Jones is an experienced Cybersecurity leader with 15+ years of experience. He combines technical, operational, risk management, and regulatory compliance experience into a functioning ecosystem where security operates as a cornerstone of the business and not as an afterthought. In his current role as the Chief Security Officer for Kingland, Shane is in charge of ensuring both information and physical assets are protected in an evolving cloud environment with a mobile workforce. Shane also draws from extensive experience within multiple Department of Defense Cybersecurity Organizations. Additionally, he has worked in private sector positions with Raytheon Missiles and Defense as well as other related firms. Shane completed his Masters of Engineering in Cybersecurity from The George Washington University, with an undergraduate degree in Information Technology.

Nicholas J. Multari is senior technical advisor for research in cybersecurity at the Pacific Northwest National Lab (PNNL) in Richland, Washington. He received a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Manhattan College, New York; a master’s degree in computing and information science from Trinity University, Texas; and a PhD in computer science from the University of Texas at Austin. He also holds a joint appointment with the Center for Applied Cybersecurity Research at Indiana University. He has also been the manager of trusted cyber technology research at Boeing Research and Technology in Seattle, Washington and served as a consultant to the USAF Scientific Advisory Board. In addition to being a Senior Security Engineer with Scitor Corporation, Nick spent 20 years as a computer scientist in the Air Force retiring as a Lt. Col.

Major General Timothy E. Orr (Retired) serves as the Advisor for Intergovernmental Affairs, National Guard Bureau, the Pentagon, Washington, District of Columbia. General Orr served as a member of the Reserve Forces Policy Board (RFPB) and was appointed as Chairman to the RFPB subcommittee of Enhancing DoD’s Role in the Homeland. General Orr assumed the duties as The Adjutant General, Iowa on 26 March 2009 and also served as the Director, Iowa Department of Public Defense. He provided command and control of more than 100 Army and Air National Guard units with approximately 9,400 assigned Soldiers and Airmen. General Orr retired 23 May 2019, after 40 years of military service.

Rich Tener serves as the chief information security officer at Iowa State University. In his role, he leads the IT Security team responsible for safeguarding university data. Under his leadership, the team assesses security weaknesses then builds and executes programs that protect university data. Focusing on practical, effective security guidance that balances business need, while mitigating risk, all while ensuring information security policies align with state and federal requirements. Having joined the university in 2019, Tener brings more than 20 years of professional technology and security experience to the IT Security team. Prior to joining Iowa State, he spent a decade helping tech startups establish security teams on the west coast. He also has extensive experience as security consultant, helping clients test their security systems against real-world attacks. Tener is an Iowa State University alumnus, having received his bachelor’s degree in computer engineering in 1999.

Adriane Van Auken, CISSP, is an associate director cyber engineer at Collins Aerospace in the Mission Systems business unit. She has been with Collins for 22 years in both software and systems engineering roles. In those roles, she has been involved in the development and NSA certification of embedded cryptographic subsystems used in Tactical Communication Radios and Weapon Datalinks. Adriane holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering from Iowa State University and a Masters of Engineering in Systems Engineering from the Stevens Institute of Technology. She has 3 patents and was one of the Rockwell Collins Corporate Engineers of the Year in 2017.

Matt Weidman is a 2015 alumni of the ISU Information Assurance (InfAs) program and currently a Senior Manager in Cybersecurity Consulting at EY. Matt brings over 7 years of experience advising Fortune 500 clients in various areas of cybersecurity. Matt’s professional interests include enterprise cybersecurity strategy, vulnerability management, medical devices, security controls validation, Operational Technology (OT) / Industrial Control Systems (ICS) / Internet of Things (IoT), penetration testing, etc. Matt also holds the certifications / certificates of Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP), Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), ISA / IEC 62443 Cybersecurity Specialist, and ISA / IEC 62443 Cybersecurity Risk Assessment Specialist.

Sam Wolf currently serves as a Leader and Senior Security Engineer for Principal’s Third-Party Cyber Risk program and is an active member of the Cyber Security and Third-Party Risk communities. Sam’s experiences span Digital and Development Product owner, senior experience owner, identity and access management, software development, and, in a past career, managing a different type of risk as a former Welder and Quality control inspector for a large manufacturer. In addition to serving as Chair of the Iowa State University Cyber Security Advisory Council Sam is also a founding member of the Our Lady of the Lake Universities Cyber Advisory Board. He also has a passion for serving the next generation as Co-Chair of Principals’ Technology Recruiting Committee, focused on building an intern talent pipeline as well as technology mentorships with minority and underserved youth. Sam holds several industry certifications, including CISM, CISSP, and CCSP. Outside of work, Sam is a husband, father of two, DIY aficionado, and loves a great cup of coffee.

Shane Dwyer is the State of Iowa’s Chief Information Security Officer. As part of the Iowa Department of Management’s Office of the Chief Information Officer, he is the principal executive for state-wide Cyber Operations which include data-center services, hosting services, information security services, and networking services. Prior to his current role, Shane was the Chief Information Security Officer for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services; Senior Director for Information Security at Minnesota State University, Mankato; and was an Operations Manager for the United States Air Force. Shane holds a Bachelors in Information Systems Security from American Military University and maintains the Certified Information Systems Security Professional, GIAC Security Leadership, and Certified Data Privacy Solutions Engineer certifications.