About Alumni 1. Introduce yourself? I started my journey in the IT sector in Washington DC after I could not find opportunities to leverage my Chemical Engineering Degree. The transition was very easy for me as I had a solid scientific education, an MBA from the American University at Cairo with focus on information technology, and a curious interest in all thing's information technology. When I moved to the DC area in 1994, I built my career over the years in the IT sector in the United States and became recognized as an instrumental IT leader with known expertise in driving global and national cybersecurity and operational resilience regulatory efforts in the United States. In 2022, I joined Microsoft as the Director of Security Architecture. I lead key aspects of Microsoft security including: Third Party, Artificial Intelligence, and Quantum Security. Prior to joining Microsoft, I served at the Federal Reserve System in various executive leadership roles for about 19 years. while I was at the Federal Reserve System. I led security efforts in global and domestic banking with a focus on regulatory policy, security architecture, and automation. I served on global banking committees including the Financial Stability Board, and the Basel Committee on Banking and Supervision, and the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council's (FFIEC). I also represented the Board of Governors on the G7 Cyber-Experts Group for five years. I served in several executive roles over the years Director of Enterprise Architecture at Hitachi, including Assistant Vice President of Enterprise Architecture for the Federal Reserve System IT Organization, Chief Technology Officer for the American Red Cross, and Chief Technology Officer for Supervision and Regulation at the Board of Governors. I believe in paying forward and giving back to my community. As such, I also lead several non-profit efforts to advance the representation of women and minorities in the cybersecurity sector including the role of Vice President of Operations at Cyversity. My leadership style is focused on servant leadership and on helping women and minorities advance in science and technology. Having come from Jordan University, I am reminded of the power science and technology can have in our lives! I awe debt of gratitude to my professors in Jordan for preparing me to lead in the field of science and technology. I received my Doctor of Liberal Studies from Georgetown University. I also hold a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the American University in Cairo, Master of Arts in Leadership from Bellevue University, a graduate degree from the ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Chemical engineering from Jordan University. Lastly, I was recognized as an award recipient of the prestigious Computer World Premier Top One Hundred IT Leaders for 2006.
| 2. Share your fondest memory from your time at Jordan University? I fondly remember walking through the hallways of the Chemical Engineering department with my fellow women engineers and marveling at the school's programs, architecture, and having an opportunity to study engineering! One of the things I enjoyed best was spending a lot of time in the labs working on practical experiments. I remember spending hours programming FORTRAN in the computer lab and the amazing support we got from lab technicians.
| 3. In one word, how would you describe Jordan University? Excellence!
| 4. Explain how your experiences at UJ shaped you? My professors were incredibly competent, highly credentialed, dedicated to the mission and to seeing us graduate with ability to compete not only in Jordan, but also in the world! They spoke about the power of science. It was fascinating to me. I learned from UJ that no matter how scarce the resources are in our school, with grit, determination, and good faculty, we have what it takes to lead forward in any science field, and we can also take on leadership roles in the world. I remember fondly having to walk very fast from the school of engineering to the school of arts and literature to make it to classes and I still remember the smell of fresh pine in the air and the endless rows of trees that lined the road.
| 5. Discuss what fascinated you about your chosen course of study? Thermodynamics class was one of the most impacting for me! I was fascinated through the course of our studies how the laws of nature drive our world, chemical processes, and transformation. The three laws of thermodynamics remained with me through the years in terms of finding patterns, finding the laws and rules the operating a system end-to-end to make better decisions and application of system theory in critical thinking.
| 6. Offer advice to graduating students preparing to enter the workforce? In the last year or two before you graduate, study the job market very carefully. I identify the companies you would like to work at and study their profile, challenges, growth opportunities, and the problems they are trying to solve. Make sure to integrate this knowledge into your study area and build academic experience in this regard. Reach out to leaders in these companies with your ideas, proposals, and ask for mentoring and internship opportunities. Having mentors and sponsors is critical for your success.
| 7. Reflect on what you wish you had known during your time as a student? I did not know much at the time about power mentoring and sponsorship in terms of helping me open doors and identify new opportunities. Building a network of mentors and sponsors is essential in growing in our careers and it is something that should start at the last year before graduation and through all your career span.
| 8. Identify the person who has had the greatest impact on your career? My father had the greatest impact on my career, my life, and my way of thinking. I learned to be fearless, never give up, and to trust that I have the power to achieve anything if I put my mind to it. My father made many sacrifices to empower me and provide opportunities for me to rise. He is my role model and his values shape and drive my outlook on life.
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