Why IT is a Great Career Choice for Women

Rebecca Watts, Ph.D.
Northeast Regional Vice President, WGU

Rebecca is an innovator in education policy, educator preparation, and post-secondary educational access. In her role as WGU regional vice president in the northeast region, she is responsible for strategic leadership in 12 states spanning the Eastern Seaboard from Virginia to Maine, including Washington, D.C.

Lauren Provost, PhD
CyberSecurity Faculty, WGU
Ethical Hacker

With over a decade of cybersecurity experience, Dr. Provost has taught networking, information assurance, algorithms, operating systems and computer architecture. She is an active member of the NSA Science of Security research group, focusing on ethical hacking and the human aspect of cybersecurity. She presented her talk on formal treatments of ethical hacking at the 2021 NSA HoTSoS Hard Problems session. An advocate for equity and excellence in computer science education, she is on the board for Women in Cybersecurity (WiCys) and advises federal legislators on current cybersecurity breaches such as Solar Winds. With a B.S. in Computer Science from University of Texas at Austin, she worked on her doctorate in mathematics with a focus on formal methods with the ACL2 Research Group in Austin.

Mare Levine
Executive Member, CyberEdBoard Community
VP of Security and Compliance,Independent Connections

Mare Levine is always looking to the future of IT and creating a shared vision for her clients’ goals, while making sure to conduct business responsibly and keeping to the mission and culture of her company. She has collaborated with such innovative companies as Intel, WebMD, Bank of America, Kimberly Clark, and Pfizer. In 2017, she moved across country to join an IT start-up of 20 people at an age when many are thinking of retirement. Today, the sister start-ups have over 80 employees, and focus on technology for largely healthcare clients. She has a B.S. in business management and an M.S. in information technology management and is also a registered nurse, certified as a Governance, Risk, and Compliance Professional (GRCP), and Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM). 

Cynthia Armstrong
IT Project Manager, City of Virginia Beach
B.S. Information Technology, WGU

Cynthia Armstrong is an IT professional with over 14 years of experience in the industry, focused on the printing, data, and the public sector. Cynthia has spent most of her career working alongside executives and software developers to create innovative credentialing solutions for colleges, universities, and other organizations. For over ten years, she was the head of IT for one of the nation’s largest diploma producers, Paradigm Incorporated, and oversaw the development of the CeDiploma® and CeCredential®, the nation’s leading certified electronic credentials. With a desire for greater challenges and in the pursuit of growth, Cynthia decided to shift career paths to focus on furthering her professional development in project management. She is currently an IT Project Manager for the City of Virginia Beach, the fifth-largest city in the Mid-Atlantic Region.

Theresa Quitto-Dickerson
IT Specialist, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Founder & CEO, The Natural Mixx Company

Theresa Quitto-Dickerson is an IT professional with over 15 years of experience in the industry, with a focus on Data warehousing, Data Analytics, and Strategic Program Management in both the public and private sectors with a solid technical background, and hands-on experience in software development and web technologies. As a techno-functional IT professional, Theresa has facilitated and coordinated program redesign, assisting with the implementation of reimagined methodologies and principles within the IT project's management and business process efforts. Theresa has plans to continue her education after her MBA with WGU by pursuing her DBA in IT with a focus on developing innovative approaches to IT implementation and the workforce. During the pandemic Theresa launched a start-up, The Natural Mixx, developing a web and mobile app focused on women's wellness,. She sits on several counties and private non-profit advocacy boards and seeks out other volunteer opportunities where she can. 

Aspen De La Cruz
Sergeant First Class, US Army
BS Information Technology, WGU
MS IT Management, WGU
WGU Distinguished Alum

Aspen De La Cruz entered the United States Army as an Information Technology Specialist on July 3, 2007 shortly after she graduated from Deerfield Beach High School. Throughout her military career she has worked in a multitude of IT positions and has used her knowledge and experience to support U.S Forces in Afghanistan, Iraq and South Korea. She is currently a Sergeant First Class in her 15^th year of service to the Army and is looking forward to retiring in the near future. Aspen received her associate's degree from Central Texas College, and received both her Bachelor and Master of Science from Western Governors University. Aspen is happily married to her husband, Ranier, they share 3 children, Archer, RJ, and Andreya.