INI Diploma Ceremony Keynote Speaker is Second Scholarship for Service (SFS) Hall of Fame Awardee, Alum Elizabeth Schweinsberg

The Information Networking Institute (INI) will welcome alum Elizabeth Schweinsberg as the keynote speaker for its 2025 Diploma Ceremony. On May 11, during Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) Commencement Weekend, Schweinsberg will share her insights with the latest graduating class of INI students at Rodef Shalom in Pittsburgh.

“Elizabeth exemplifies the versatility and excellence of our Scholarship for Service alumni,” said Dr. Dena Haritos Tsamitis, Director of the INI. “She has moved seamlessly between federal service and top technology companies, developing deep expertise and helping to strengthen the digital forensics community. Our students will benefit from her perspective as they prepare for their next steps.” 

Schweinsberg completed her graduate degree during an era that solidified the INI’s strength in cybersecurity education. She is a 2005 graduate of the M.S. in Information Security Technology and Management (MSISTM) program, now the nationally recognized M.S. in Information Security (MSIS).  

This degree was created in 2003 by Dr. Dena Haritos Tsamitis in response to the critical need for cybersecurity talent in the federal workforce, highlighted by the attacks on 9/11. It is the foundation for two of CMU’s designations as a National Center for Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C), overseen by the National Security Agency (NSA). Through the CAE designations, INI students in the MSISTM program were able to be considered for the CyberCorps© Scholarship for Service (SFS), a highly competitive federal scholarship that supports students in pursuing cybersecurity education.  

Earlier this year, Schweinsberg was inducted into the National Science Foundation (NSF) SFS Hall of Fame. She is the second INI alum to earn this national distinction after being successfully nominated by Dr. Haritos Tsamitis. In January, Schweinsberg and Dr. Haritos Tsamitis attended the SFS Hall of Fame ceremony to celebrate this achievement in Washington, DC. The previous INI alum to be inducted into the SFS Hall of Fame, 2004 graduate Samual Edoho-Eket, gave the keynote address at the 2024 INI Diploma Ceremony. 

"It is an honor to speak with the newest INI graduates as they prepare for the next stages of their careers, and lovely to reflect on the impact the INI had on my journey as well as reflect on how the program has grown in the same time,” said Schweinsberg. 

After graduating from the INI, Schweinsberg fulfilled her SFS commitment at the National Security Agency (NSA), where she was a Global Network Exploit and Vulnerability Analyst. She worked in various teams at the NSA for six years before joining Google as part of the Security Incident Response Team. In 2017, Schweinsberg joined Facebook to assist with the rebuilding of the company’s threat detection and response team.  

Schweinsberg returned to federal service in 2020, joining the United States Digital Service, bringing her wealth of deep technical knowledge and experience. She is currently a Senior Technical Advisor to the Chief Information Security Officer at the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, running the department’s Zero Trust transformation. In addition to her remarkable career, Schweinsberg has given back by helping build the digital forensics community and serving as a thought leader on Zero Trust security.