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Tamara Shoemaker is a nationally recognized cybersecurity education and workforce development leader, passionate about inspiring the next generation of cyber defenders. She served as Program Manager for the Auto-ISAC’s Automotive Cybersecurity Training Program (ACT), where she blended academic insight with automotive industry expertise to develop cutting-edge training in collaboration with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Before that, she spent 17 years as Director of the Center for Cyber Security & Intelligence Studies at the University of Detroit Mercy, where she spearheaded outreach and partnerships with government agencies, industry leaders, and educational institutions—locally, nationally, and internationally.
A seasoned entrepreneur and connector, Tamara is the President and founding board member of the Michigan Midwest Regional Chapter of CISSE (MCISSE), building coalitions among universities and community colleges across the Midwest and beyond. She is also a driving force behind the Michigan CyberPatriot Program, which she founded to address the critical shortage of trained cybersecurity professionals. Through her strategic leadership and funding advocacy, Michigan’s CyberPatriot initiative now reaches over 1,000 middle and high school students annually, providing them—and their educators—with hands-on cybersecurity education, summer camps, competitions, digital badging, and the nation’s first state-level CyberPatriot trophies. www.micyberpatriot.com
Tamara also serves on the Executive Board of the Michigan Air & Space Force Association and is a member of the national AFA “Emerging Leaders” class—further testament to her influence in the broader national security and cyber ecosystem.
She co-authored the groundbreaking book Teaching Cybersecurity with her husband, Dr. Dan Shoemaker, offering secondary school teachers a practical and visionary guide for bringing cybersecurity into the classroom. Whether she's designing statewide programs, building educational pathways, or energizing a room full of educators, Tamara Shoemaker is relentlessly focused on creating a secure digital future—one student at a time.
Shorter version for publication:
Tamara Shoemaker is a nationally recognized cybersecurity educator and program builder, known for her leadership in closing the cyber workforce gap. She directed the Center for Cyber Security & Intelligence Studies at the University of Detroit Mercy and served as Program Manager for the Auto-ISAC’s Automotive Cybersecurity Training Program in partnership with NHTSA. Tamara is the founder of the Michigan CyberPatriot Program, which reaches over 1,000 middle and high school students annually with hands-on cybersecurity education, summer camps, and competitions. She is also President of the Michigan Midwest Regional Chapter of CISSE (MCISSE), a founding board member, and a national “Emerging Leader” with the Air & Space Force Association. Tamara co-authored Teaching Cybersecurity, a pioneering book for K–12 educators, and is a passionate advocate for empowering the next generation of cyber defenders.
Ever wonder how to sneak a little cybersecurity into your traditional classroom without rewriting your lesson plan? This high-energy session is your blueprint for doing just that, whether you’re a total cyber newbie or just looking to level up. We’ll start with easy, non-stress ideas and build toward bigger, bolder ways to excite your students about one of the fastest-growing (and coolest) career paths: Cybersecurity.
Did you know hackers can infiltrate over 90% of business networks? That’s right—and it’s not firewalls they’re tricking. It’s people. That means we educators have a huge role in closing the human vulnerability gap.
Join us as we explore how to:
• Ride the October wave with Cybersecurity Awareness Month activities that are fun, free, and classroom-ready.
• Invite industry partners and mentors into your classroom (because nothing says "this is real" like a guest hacker… er, ethical hacker).
• Launch or plug into after-school programs like CyberPatriot, student organizations, and internship pipelines.
• Find fantastic summer camp opportunities (for both students and teachers) that’ll make you look like a cyber Rockstar.
• Drop cybersecurity into existing courses using resources you already have—without reinventing the wheel.
• Take the leap and develop a cybersecurity course tailored to your school, using partnerships, support networks, and just a touch of digital courage.
Whether you teach business, finance, accounting, management, information technology, or marketing, there’s a place for cyber in your classroom. Come for the tips, stay for the teacher-tested ideas, and leave ready to protect the digital future—one student at a time.
