Meet the Team

Dr. Cruz, PD of this proposal, holds two PhD's one in Computer Engineering from University of Cincinnati in 1992, and one in Computer Information Systems from Nova Southeastern University in 2003. Dr. Cruz has been awarded NSF-SFS and DoD CySP Basic Recruitment and Capacity Building proposals that are currently active. He has secured several grants with DoD CySP Capacity Building in the NCAE Program in the last three years to train teachers, faculty, first responders and veterans. In this period more than 30 K-12 teachers have been trained in cybersecurity education. He is also a pioneer of GenCyber projects at PUPR. He funded these activities for the first three years (2016-2018) with funds from an NSF-grant. He was awarded an NCAE-CEDI to train the trainer in cybersecurity for 30 teachers. Currently, Dr. Cruz is working in a coalition with RIT to train 20 teachers and faculty in GR&C. Also, he was awarded a two-year grant for an Integrated Teacher Workshop, where we

will impact

Prof. Hernandez is the Associate Director and Professor of the Electrical and Computer Engineering and Computer Science (ECECS) Department at PUPR. With a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering and graduate-level certifications in cybersecurity, he plays a vital role in curriculum development and program oversight. His expertise ensures the camp's success in delivering high-quality cybersecurity education.

Edna Chaar is a Doctoral Candidate in Computer Engineering with an Emphasis in Cybersecurity at PUPR. For the past two years, Edna has taught university-level courses in basic programming and has conducted workshops for high school teachers and students through various cybersecurity programs, including the RING program and The 502 Project. She has also actively participated as a speaker in cybersecurity-related events for different associations, offering her expertise on a voluntary basis. Edna’s dynamic experience combines teaching, hands-on training, and outreach, empowering participants to engage with cybersecurity concepts effectively and apply them in real-world scenarios.