Carnegie Mellon’s Information Networking Institute, Alta Associates Announce Award Winner

July 17, 2007
Contact: Chriss Swaney
(412) 268-5776

PITTSBURGH—Carnegie Mellon University’s Information Networking Institute (INI) and Alta Associates’ Executive Women’s Forum (EWF) on Information Security, Risk Management and Privacy will present Amy Rambhia with an educational award to enroll in the university’s Master of Science in Information Security Technology and Management (MSISTM) program.

Rambhia, who is an intern in information systems at Cisco Systems Inc. in San Jose, Calif., said she is thrilled about the opportunity to enroll in such a prestigious program.

“I want to be even more fluent in the language of risk management and information security, and Carnegie Mellon’s INI program offers just the right mix of skills and courses,” said Rambhia, a computer engineering graduate of India’s Mumbai University. “I’m also looking forward to the mentoring portion of the program.”

Under the university’s partnership agreement with Alta Associates, a senior-level EWF participant in the information security field will mentor the award recipient. EWF (www.infosecuritywomen.com) is an elite group of the nation’s most influential female executives specializing in the areas of information technology, risk management and privacy. It is hosted by Alta Associates, a national recruiting firm specializing in placement of top-tier executives in a variety of information technology, risk management and security venues.

“The Executive Women’s Forum goal is to provide opportunities for women to develop their careers in the field of technology risk management in an environment that enriches their lives,” said Joyce Brocaglia, CEO of Alta Associates’ Executive Women’s Forum. “The EWF is committed to investing in the creation of future thought leaders, and we are proud to sponsor and mentor Amy Rambhia in this program.”

Carnegie Mellon also plans to create a mentoring program between the EWF and the university’s newly formed Women@INI (WINI) student organization to provide growth opportunities for all women enrolled at the INI.

“This award and mentoring program are important steps in attracting and retaining highly qualified underrepresented minorities, including women, to careers in information networking and security,” said Dena Haritos Tsamitis, director of the INI and of education, training and outreach for Carnegie Mellon CyLab. “Given current demand from industry, it has become increasingly important to attract, train and nurture diverse individuals with the right combination of leadership and technology talent to be tomorrow’s leaders in this global field.”

Rambhia is scheduled to attend the EWF conference “Managing Risk Through Collaboration” Sept. 19–21 at the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa, where she will be introduced to the EWF community and meet her mentors.

About the Information Networking Institute: Carnegie Mellon established The Information Networking Institute (INI) in 1989 as the nation’s first research and education center devoted to information networking. As an integral department of the College of Engineering and a collaboration of the School of Computer Science, the Tepper School of Business and the H. John Heinz III School of Public Policy and Management, the INI’s professional degree programs represent an exceptional fusion of technologies, economics and policies of secure communication networks. Top students from around the world attend the INI, seeking the broadened perspective and enriched skill sets necessary to design solutions, manage teams and lead enterprises in today’s global networked information technology marketplace.

About Carnegie Mellon: Carnegie Mellon is a private research university with a distinctive mix of programs in engineering, computer science, robotics, business, public policy, fine arts and the humanities. More than 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students receive an education characterized by its focus on creating and implementing solutions for real problems, interdisciplinary collaboration, and innovation. A small student-to-faculty ratio provides an opportunity for close interaction between students and professors. While technology is pervasive on its 144-acre campus, Carnegie Mellon is also distinctive among leading research universities for the world-renowned programs in its College of Fine Arts. For more, see www.cmu.edu.