Scholarship for Service Alumnus Samuel Edoho-Eket Named 2024 Keynote Speaker

The Information Networking Institute (INI) is proud to welcome Samuel Edoho-Eket, a graduate and alumnus, as keynote speaker at the 2024 Diploma Ceremony on May 12. The ceremony will take place during Carnegie Mellon University’s Commencement Weekend and will honor the most recent class of INI graduates.  

“Sammy is an outstanding example of how INI graduates use their technical expertise and passion for service to make an impact,” said Dr. Dena Haritos Tsamitis, director of the INI. “He used every opportunity at the INI to build skills and forge a successful path as a cybersecurity leader. 

“Beyond his significant contributions to the field of cybersecurity, Sammy is an incredibly warm and generous person. From his mentorship of INI students and young people in his community to his philanthropy, Sammy can offer a unique perspective as both a technical leader and a community advocate. We look forward to welcoming Sammy back home to the INI and hearing his advice for our newest graduating class.” 

Edoho-Eket graduated from the INI’s flagship master’s program, the Master of Science in Information Networking (MSIN), in 2004 and has built a career as a technical leader and mentor in the field. He earned a spot in the CyberCorps® Scholarship for Service (SFS) program, a competitive scholarship that prepares emerging leaders in cybersecurity for careers in the federal government. Nearly 20 years after his graduation, in January 2024, Edoho-Eket was recognized in the SFS Hall of Fame for his outstanding contributions to national cyberdefense. Haritos Tsamitis presented him with the award during the ceremony in Washington, D.C. 

“The words that keep coming back to me as I reflect on this graduation and speaking opportunity are 'full circle,'” said Edoho-Eket, reflecting on the way his experiences at the INI have continued to resurface throughout his career. “I visited Athens, Greece, for the first time in 2003 with the INI, and then returned with my family to Athens in 2023 exactly 20 years later. Dr. Dena Haritos Tsamitis took over as the INI Director in 2004 the same year I graduated from the INI and SFS program. Then 20 years later, Dr. Haritos Tsamitis traveled to Washington, D.C., to present me with the CISA SFS Hall of Fame Award the same year I will now return to Pittsburgh to present a keynote speech to the graduating class.

“These experiences to me speak to the cyclical nature of life, and how places and people from your youth can come back around years later to play important and impactful roles in your life.” – Edoho-Eket

Edoho-Eket’s love for computers began at an early age. At his Nashville middle school, he helped in building  the computer lab. Because of his passion, and with the help of the school’s computer science teacher, the Sammy Award was established. For 30 years, this award has been given to a talented computer science student, and in 2024, Edoho-Eket will return to the Meigs Magnet Middle School to celebrate the anniversary of the Sammy Award. 

After completing his degree at the INI, Edoho-Eket went on to serve with the Department of Defense (DoD) as a DoD technical director for six years before founding PrismSix Technologies, an information technology consulting company that regularly contracts with federal agencies to improve and secure their systems. Edoho-Eket led the establishment of large DoD Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) infrastructure environments, assisted with migrating to newer technologies and led the establishment of cloud-based systems and critical capacities during the COVID-19 pandemic for remote work.  

Outside of work, Edoho-Eket is an avid philanthropist and mentor. He has donated to Metro Nashville public schools to promote computer science and STEM education on behalf of his company PrismSix Technologies. He has also served as a mentor for INI students and a youth mentor in a male-to-male mentoring program. Edoho-Eket also enjoys creative pursuits; he is a lifelong jazz performer who regularly shares his music with schools and workshops. 

Pictured above: 1.Dena Haritos Tsamitis (left), with Samuel Edoho-Eket at the 2024 SFS Hall of Fame reception. 2. Rob Stack (left), with Samuel Edoho-Eket for the presentation of the Sammy Award.