Women's Technology Council Launch - Speakers

Nada Marie Anid, Ph.D.
Vice President, Strategic Communications & External Affairs, NYIT

Nada Marie Anid, Ph.D., is vice president for Strategic Communications and External Affairs, a new office created by NYIT in May 2018 dedicated to articulating NYIT's mission as a premier polytechnic that fosters technology innovation and entrepreneurship.

A results-oriented leader with astute business acumen, Anid served as the first female dean of the NYIT School of Engineering and Computing Sciences since 2009. As dean, she spearheaded the creation of NYIT's NSA/DHS National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education, its federally and state-funded Entrepreneurship and Technology Innovation Center (ETIC), and its Empire State Development's Division of Science, Technology, and Innovation (NYSTAR)-certified business incubator. She also led the overhaul of the school's academic offerings and research facilities, and the recruitment of outstanding faculty in the areas of cybersecurity and IT, bioengineering, and clean energy and water. Under her tenure, the school forged new community ties and partnerships, created undergraduate honors and research programs, increased its enrollment, and produced unprecedented research output. Globally, she led the U.S.-China EcoPartnership with Peking University, which was sponsored by the U.S. State Department, and the Pathways for Cleaner Production in the Americas projects with seven higher education institutions across Latin America.

Long an advocate for women pursuing education and career opportunities in STEM fields, Anid's efforts in this area include her recent book, The Internet of Women: Accelerating Culture Change, a "Salon Talk" interview on Silicon Valley's gender culture for Salon.com, and opinion articles in Forbes, Fox, University Business, and the Huffington Post, among others. She is also the recipient of numerous awards, including the Long Island Software and Technology Network (LISTnet) Diamond Award, which recognizes her significant contributions toward the advancement of women in technology on Long Island and her professional achievements in the technology field. In 2015, she received a 100 Inspiring Women in STEM Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. Long Island Business News three times named her as one of the Top 50 Most Influential Women in Business in recognition of her achievements in workforce and economic development.

Anid serves as chair of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Public Affairs and Information Committee (PAIC) and is a member of the Managing Board of the Institute for Sustainability of AIChE. She also is a member of the Board of Directors of LISTnet, the Riverdale Nature Preservancy, and the Girl Scouts of Nassau County. Additionally, she is an active member of the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE) and its Public Policy, Diversity, Data, and K–12 committees; the New York Academy of Sciences; the Long Island Regional Economic Development Council's Education and Workforce Committee; the Long Island STEM Hub; and the New York State STEM Education Collaborative.

Anid is an accomplished scholar and expert reviewer for the federal government and several engineering journals. She is a member of the editorial advisory board of the Journal of Environmental Progress and Sustainable Energy and served as guest editor of its January 2018 issue on the Food Energy Water Nexus.

She earned her Ph.D. in environmental engineering from the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor), and bachelor's and master's degrees in chemical engineering from KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden. She is among the first engineers to study the role of vitamin B12 and other organometallic coenzymes in the dechlorination of important toxic molecules such as carbon tetrachloride and polychlorinated biphenyls.

Hank Foley, Ph.D.
President, NYIT

Henry C. “Hank” Foley, Ph.D., is the fourth president of New York Institute of Technology (NYIT). He joined the university in June 2017 after serving as interim chancellor of the University of Missouri-Columbia (MU). A seasoned administrator and an accomplished research scientist and teacher, Foley brings to NYIT decades of high-level experience in strategic planning, economic development and advanced research collaborations, program development, and enhanced funding in higher education.

As NYIT president, he is committed to expanding the university's reputation as well as elevating its resource management and global outreach by ensuring that the university’s assets are synergistic and support its mission; instilling a leadership culture conducive to setting strategies that build excitement and passion for NYIT’s future; and building and sustaining financial resources, enrollment, and NYIT’s relationships and stature within its various communities.

As MU’s interim chancellor, Foley directed the university’s research mission as well as led the quality and effectiveness of all academic programs. He joined the University of Missouri System in 2013 as executive vice president for academic affairs, where he was tasked with growing its academic and research expertise before being appointed interim chancellor in November 2015. Foley has also served as vice president for research and dean of the graduate school at The Pennsylvania State University. In addition, he has held faculty appointments at MU, Penn State, and the University of Delaware.

Foley earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry at Providence College, a master’s degree in chemistry from Purdue University, and doctorate in physical and inorganic chemistry from Penn State. An accomplished researcher who has dedicated more than 30 years to advancing the study of nanotechnology, he holds 16 patents, has written more than 150 articles and a textbook, and has mentored nearly 50 undergraduate and graduate thesis students. Foley has been recognized as a fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Division of the American Chemical Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the National Academy of Inventors.

In addition, he holds numerous memberships in professional and honor societies, including the Computing Research Association, Sigma Xi, Phi Lambda, and Sigma Pi Sigma. In 2015, Foley was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Science by Providence College and in 2017 earned the Distinguished Science Alumni Award from Purdue University.

Valerie Plame
Writer, Spy Novelist, and Former CIA Operative

A former career covert CIA operations officer, Valerie Plame worked to protect America’s national security and prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, in particular nuclear weapons. During her career with the CIA, Valerie managed top-secret covert programs designed to keep terrorists and rogue nation states from acquiring nuclear weapons.

This involved decision making at senior levels, recruiting foreign assets, deploying resources around the world, managing multi-million dollar budgets, briefing U.S. policy-makers, and demonstrating consistently solid judgment in a field where mistakes could prove disastrous to national security. She was also involved in covert cyber operations and counterterrorism efforts in Europe and the Middle East.

Valerie sits on the boards of Global Data Sentinel, a cybersecurity company that safeguards digital data streaming and extends that protection to email and attachments, and Starling Trust, a predictive behavioral analytics company that interprets and forecasts behavioral trends. She serves on the nonprofit boards of Global Zero, the United Way of Santa Fe County, and Postpartum Support International. Valerie is affiliated with the Santa Fe Institute.

Valerie is the author of The New York Times best-selling memoir Fair Game: My Life as a Spy, My Betrayal by the White House, which was released as a major motion picture of the same name starring Sean Penn and Naomi Watts. Along with Sarah Lovett, she has published the well-received fictional spy thrillers Blowback and Burned. Valerie served as the narrator and appeared as an expert in the film Countdown to Zero, a documentary on the threat of nuclear war.

A graduate of Penn State, Valerie holds graduate degrees in International Relations from the London School of Economics and the College of Europe.

Shamla Naidoo
Vice President, IT Risk, and Chief Information Security Officer, IBM

Shamla Naidoo is an accomplished information security executive with more than 25 years of experience. As the Global Chief Information Security Officer of IBM, Shamla is the company’s top information security executive, responsible for safeguarding IBM global business units and brands. She is accountable for IBM's overall information security program, which includes the company’s information risk and security strategies, planning, governance, architecture, and operations. Prior to joining IBM, Shamla was Vice President of Information Risk and Security at Starwood Hotels and Resorts.

Previous roles include Chief Information Officer, Chief Information Security Officer, and Chief Risk Officer at leading companies including WellPoint, Northern Trust, and ABN AMRO. Shamla is an adjunct law professor, developing and teaching courses in information technology, cybersecurity and privacy law. She also has a license to practice law in both Illinois and Washington D.C. Shamla holds a bachelor's degree in Information Systems and Economics from the University of South Africa, and a Juris Doctor degree from John Marshall Law School.