Dr. Pailen is a distinguished cybersecurity and information technology professional, educator, and academic leader with expertise spanning cybersecurity, risk management, network security, software development, telecommunications, and systems administration. She holds the ISC2 Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification, multiple CompTIA certifications, and several Google AI Professional Certificates.
Dr. Pailen serves as Senior Director of the Center for Security Studies at the University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC), where she leads initiatives supporting the university’s National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C) designation and cybersecurity-related grants. She previously served as Associate Provost for Instructional Design and Faculty Development at UMGC and has held IT and cybersecurity positions with The Washington Post, UMGC, and the Defense Cyber Investigations Training Academy.
A passionate advocate for cybersecurity education and workforce development, Dr. Pailen has developed cybersecurity curricula for graduate, undergraduate, community college, K–12, and professional education. She is a CompTIA Certified Classroom Trainer and author of a children’s cybersecurity awareness book series.
Dr. Pailen also contributes to the cybersecurity community through professional boards, advisory councils, and statewide initiatives, including the Governor’s Cyber Maryland Board.