Suzanna Schmeelk

Dr. Suzanna Schmeelk is an Associate Professor of Cybersecurity, and Cofounder and Director of the M.S. in Cyber and Information Security program at St. John’s University. The graduate program is delivered in a dual modality format—available both online and on the Queens, NY, campus—and is registered with New York State, accredited by ABET, and validated by the National Security Agency, reflecting its national recognition and academic rigor in cybersecurity education. Dr. Schmeelk has directed the program since its founding and served as the program director during its accreditation and validation processes.

She brings more than 20 years of experience in technical information security, having held roles and conducted research at leading organizations including the City of New York; Bell Laboratories; Yahoo!; eBay; Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; Battelle; UC Berkeley; Cornell Medical College; and Paradyne.

Dr. Schmeelk is a Cybersecurity Fulbright Award Grantee, recognized for her international contributions to cybersecurity research and education. She was also among the first coaches of the US Cyber Games team, which represents the United States in international cybersecurity competitions, including the International CyberSecurity Challenge.

She is an inventor holding a patent in Network Security and another in the US National Science Foundation I-Corps grant program, supporting the commercialization of innovative cybersecurity technologies.

In addition to her industry expertise, Dr. Schmeelk has spent more than two decades teaching and conducting research in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) across a wide range of academic institutions. Her affiliations include Rutgers University, Pace University, University of Maryland Global Campus, Cooper Union, Touro University, University of California, Berkeley, Columbia University, New York University, Parsons School of Design, and The New York Academy of Sciences.

Dr. Schmeelk holds nine academic degrees, including eight advanced degrees. She has earned two doctorates: a Doctor of Professional Studies (D.P.S.) in Computing with a specialization in Mobile Security from Pace University, and an Ed.D. in Mathematics Education from Rutgers University. Her graduate credentials also include an M.B.A. in Cybersecurity from the University of Maryland Global Campus, and five M.S. degrees in
Health Informatics from Cornell University Cybersecurity from University of Maryland Global Campus Data Visualization from Parsons – The New School for Design Computer Science from William & Mary Technology Management from New York University She also holds a B.S. in Computer Science with a minor in Mathematics from the University of Richmond.

Complementing her academic achievements, Dr. Schmeelk has earned state-level certificates in cybersecurity from Carnegie Mellon University, Stanford University, and New York University, along with multiple industry-recognized certifications.

View Dr. Schmeelk’s full list of publications on her Google Scholar Profile.
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=_Opyws8AAAAJ&hl=en

Watch Dr. Schmeelk’s interview with the Computing Conference on Data Visualization and Cybersecurity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfaYejCPhKgDr. Schmeelk’s research interests lie in Cybersecurity, Computational Thinking, Mathematics Education, Mobile/Health Technology Security, special topics in Cybersecurity, Machine Learning, Cybersecurity Risk Management and Social Justice. A list of her publications can be found on Google Scholar.

Courses Taught