Dr. Susan Helser
Assistant Professor, Information Systems
Grawn Hall 335 / 989-774-3853 / helse1s@cmich.edu
Education:
PHD, Iowa State University / MS, Iowa State University / BS, University of Michigan - Flint
In 1995, after completing my BS at the University of Michigan – Flint, I entered the tech sector. During my time in industry I worked as a programmer, data analyst, and software engineer. My career shifted to cybersecurity, due to the clear need for data protection, security and privacy. I continued my education in the field and earned my MS and PhD degrees at Iowa State University, a school with a highly ranked program in cybersecurity.
While a student I taught college classes for a number of institutions. During my final year at Iowa State I was recruited to work at Norwich University located in Northfield, Vermont. The experience at Norwich University was good due to the school’s strong program in cybersecurity, excellent faculty, and accreditation as a Center of Academic Excellence (CAE). Work there provided a great foundation and preparation to move forward in cybersecurity education.
I joined Central Michigan University in August 2018. The focus of my work at the University is in the area of cybersecurity. I am the faculty mentor for the Cybersecurity Club, teach classes in cybersecurity, and am the point person at Central Michigan University as the school moves toward the submission of its application to the National Security Agency/Department of Homeland Security to become a CAE.
My research interests include cryptology, identity theft, IoT vulnerabilities, and the need for individuals with cross-disciplinary and/or blended specialization that includes cybersecurity.