Dianne Burke
Director, CyberMontana
Dianne Burke is a cybersecurity faculty member at Missoula College University of Montana and serves as Director of CyberMontana.She has taught networking, security, data operations, and computer forensics courses in both the public and private sectors She recently completed a career as a forensic analyst where she specialized in ESI collection and analysis and assisted counsel in cases across the U.S. Ms. Burke holds a B. A. from Rice University, an M.S. from the University of Houston, an M. Ed. From the University of Montana, and is a doctoral student at the University of Montana
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Tom Gallagher
Dean of Missoula College and Associate Vice Provost for Two-Year Education and Workforce Development
Tom has been a professor of Information Technology and Computer Science at Missoula College, University of Montana since 2001. Prior to coming to UM, Tom served in the roles of Technology Director and System Administrator. He holds a doctoral and master's degree in Education Leadership from the University of Montana, a master's degree in Computer Science from Western Washington University, and a baccalaureate degree in Mathematics from Carroll College.
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Zach Rossmiller
Chief Information Officer, University of Montana
Zach Rossmiller is the Associate Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer at the University of Montana (UM). Zach provides vision and strategic leadership for UM’s computing and information technology enterprise and drives innovative solutions to support academics and research. Prior to the CIO role in 2020, Zach served as UM’s Executive Director of Cyber-Infrastructure and was responsible for campus-wide systems administration, research computing, data centers, network infrastructure, telecommunications, and classroom technology. Zach received an MBA, a B.S. in Management Information Systems, and an AAS in Computer Networking from UM. Along with earning degrees, Zach has taught UM courses on operating systems, enterprise security, desktop security, and business systems analysis design.
Jeff Arends
Professor, University of Montana
Jeff was born and raised in Missoula, MT. He studied Math and Computer Science at the University of Montana and has been teaching since 2011. He has completed several of the CompTIA certifications, including the CySA+ (Cybersecurity Analyst). Currently, he is teaching math and IT courses at Missoula College. Jeff taught at a GenCyber summer camp in 2021 where middle school students were introduced to several STEM topics such as electronics and digital forensics. He is organizing several other similar summer camps throughout Montana for summer 2022.
Kelsey Lappier
Business Development Specialist
Kelsey Lappier serves as our Business Development Specialist. She leads our marketing, digital strategies, and outreach efforts. With a diverse background in marketing, management, communication, and sales, Kelsey graduated with dual Bachelor of Science degrees in Marketing and Management and Entrepreneurship from The University of Montana - College of Business. She is excited to add her strategic thinking and creativity to the CyberMontana team.
Kristal Crowley
Special Projects Coordinator
Kristal Crowley serves as STEM Program Outreach & Student Retention Coordinator at Missoula College. In this role, she actively recruits middle and high school students from local and regional Montana schools, assesses and monitors student progress, engages with a broad community of partner bases to gather information on specific needs, and collaborates with Montana businesses to allow gainful employment. This position also includes promoting positive student outcomes and supporting academic and career readiness skills. Prior to her current role, she worked as a Director at a local non-profit and has a background in Curriculum Studies.
Wally Higgins
Information Technology Faculty Member, Missoula College
Wally has been instructing at Missoula College since 2009. Prior to taking this teaching position, he served for 23 years as a Field Engineer for Information Systems Analysts, Inc. and the UnisysCorporation. Since joining Missoula College, he has taught Electronics Technology, energy technology, and Computer Applications and currently serves as the lead instructor of Networking in the Missoula College IT department. He holds a B.A. from the University of Montana, an AAS in ElectronicsTechnology, and currently holds four Cisco NetAcademy Instructor certifications. He offers Networking in both the traditional Face to Face format with lab experiments using Cisco equipment and in an Online format with Cisco’s lab simulation application software.
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Victor Valgenti
Program Director – Information Technology / Assistant Professor, Missoula College
Victor has held almost every job in the IT world from Software Testing to Software Development and from Information Auditing to Computer Security Research. Victor graduated from the University of Montana many years ago with a Bachelor’s degree in French and English Linguistics but more recently graduated from Washington State University with a PHD in Computer Science with an emphasis in computer Networks and Security. Prior to returning to his hometown of Missoula, Victor worked for a startup building all-in-one tools for simplifying security. Victor’s goal is to make the InformationTechnology and Cybersecurity program at Missoula College an integral aspect of cybersecurity education in Montana and Missoula.
Matt Collins
Security Awareness Training Program Specialist
Matt currently serves as the Security Awareness Training Program Specialist for CyberMontana. Matt is a 28 Year Army Veteran who served in a multitude of roles during his military career, including Training, Recruiting , and Operations. He is a graduate of the Army's Master Leaders Course and while on active duty, also earned his bachelor's degree in Business Administration and Marketing from Columbia Southern University. Upon retirement, Matt and his family were excited to return to his wife's native Montana to raise their daughter and plant roots in Missoula, where they currently reside.
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Jesse Conn
Budget Analyst
Jesse studied Economics at the University of Montana and has previously worked at Missoula College in the Business and Technology department. He is interested in solving data related problems and improving access to education.