CIT Industrial Advisory Council

Mission

The mission is to serve as an advisory council for the leadership and faculty within the CIT Department on strategy, important issues affecting the future of the department, and external affairs; to establish an enduring collaboration between faculty, students, and industry; and provide insights to the CIT leadership team in order to maintain and enhance the department’s position of academic excellence and prominence.

ByLaws

Download the Bylaws here.

Members

Denis Bershevits

Associate Director - Network Architect
Eli Lilly and Company

Denis Bershevits

Associate Director - Network Architect, Eli Lilly and Company

CIT Alumnus (2016) Denis Bershevits graduated with a BS in Network Engineering Technology. He has held various roles at Eli Lilly including DDI Engineer, LAN Engineer, Senior LAN Segmentation Engineer, Network Security Consultant, Network Security Engineer, and most recently as a Network Architect. Denis is currently responsible for formulating the direction of strategies, plans, and architectures for Lilly’s global local area networks, wireless, and DNS services. Denis holds several certifications in Cybersecurity such as the GIAC Security Essentials (GSEC), GIAC Assessing and Auditing Wireless Networks (GAWN), GIAC Penetration Tester (GPEN), and GIAC Cloud Penetration Tester (GCPN). He is also certified in ITILv3 Foundations, Splunk, and holds the Infoblox CDCA.

Kevin Block

HR IT Delivery Manager
ExxonMobil Information Technology

Kevin Block

HR IT Delivery Manager, ExxonMobil Information Technology

Purdue University CPT Alumnus Kevin Block graduated in 2006 from the West Lafayette Campus. He started his career with Exxon Mobil in 2006 and has spent his ~20 years in the ExxonMobil IT department holding various positions. Those positions include Infrastructure, Applications, Chemical & Corporate Projects, Service Projects, and Enterprise Project Management Office roles primarily based in the United States. Kevin’s current role is the HR IT Delivery Manager which is responsible for ensuring a smooth transition from our current HR ecosystem to a more modern platform.

Eric Clark

Government Innovation Lead
Google

Eric Clark

Government Innovation Lead, Google

Eric Clark has nearly two decades of experience in technology and management consulting, helping private and public sector organizations across the U.S. leverage technology to solve their toughest challenges. In his current role at Google, Eric works with Indiana public sector customers on their digital transformation strategies, including data, AI, and cybersecurity. Prior to joining Google, Eric served as Vice President of Public Sector Solutions at SpringML, where he led the development and delivery of innovative multi-cloud technology solutions for government agencies. He also ran technology projects at other firms and worked at Deloitte Consulting, primarily focused on supporting information management projects for the Department of Defense. Eric holds a degree in telecommunications from Ball State University, where he focused on media production. This background, combined with his extensive technology experience, gives him a unique perspective on how to use technology to drive mission outcomes. Eric is a Google certified Cloud Architect and Cloud Engineer. He is also a certified Project Management Professional.

LinkedIn Profile

Troy Davis

Principal Security Researcher
Microsoft Corporation

Troy Davis

Principal Security Researcher, Microsoft Corporation

Troy Davis, a 2013 CIT Alumnus, earned a BS in Computer and Information Technology (NET) along with a certificate in Entrepreneurship. During his first tenure at Microsoft from 2013 to 2022, he held various leadership roles, including his position as Principal Group Engineering Manager overseeing application, services, and infrastructure for Microsoft 365 Defender and Microsoft Security. He managed multiple global engineering teams and architects, leading initiatives in Data Platforms, Researcher Productivity, Secure Environments, Engineering Systems, and Reliability. In June 2022, Troy joined Coinbase as a leader in Infrastructure reliability & led company-wide incident management. He was responsible for managing high severity incidents, both in business and technology, and implemented engineering investments to enhance reliability and resiliency. Collaborating with cross-functional teams, he contributed to improvements in incident management, operational excellence, and analytical reporting. Upon returning to Microsoft in early 2023, Troy led a software engineering team within Microsoft Defender Experts, focusing on delivering an enterprise-ready managed SOC to public and government customers. In 2024, after 14 years in engineering, Troy started a new role with the Microsoft GHOST team (Global Hunting, Oversight, and Strategic Triage Team) to pursue his passion for security research and shift his career path to help keep Microsoft and its customers safe from cyber threats. He also provides Active Blue Team member coverage for cyber defense/protection and leads up architecture for secure data access environments.

Dan Fay

Senior Director for Research Strategic Engagements
Microsoft Corporation

Dan Fay

Senior Director for Research Strategic Engagements, Microsoft Corporation

Daniel Fay has over 20 years’ experience working with advanced and cutting edge computing technologies. He is currently the Senior Director of Strategic Engagements for Microsoft Research, and uses his broad insight in software and hardware to define and lead engagement strategies for new and emerging technologies. In continually being at the convergence of new technologies, Dan has gained knowledge, expertise, and insight across a wide variety of technologies and domains. This has included leading multidisciplinary teams to collaborate on addressing scientific challenges as well as developing new programs (ie. Azure for Research) to bring Cloud Computing to Academic Researchers. Dan has project experience working with Internet of Things, Cloud Computing, High Performance Computing, Grid Computing, collaboration and visualization tools in scientific research. Before joining Microsoft in 1992, Dan was a senior software engineer with Digital Equipment Corporation working on OSF/1 and embedded network devices. Dan is a graduate of Northeastern University in Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Jena Fisher

Business Systems Analyst
Pearson VUE

Jena Fisher

Business Systems Analyst, Pearson VUE

CIT Alumnus (2013) Jena Fisher graduated from the program with a BS in Computer and Information Technology (IST). She started her career in the medical device industry working for Boston Scientific with their Rotational Program, then moved to the company's infrastructure division where she worked on their Request and Help Desk ticketing systems. Jena switched gears and moved to her current role in the computer-based testing space at Pearson VUE as a Business Systems Analyst on their web development team. In this role Jena works in an agile environment to analyze and improve the web registration process for the company’s clients and their candidates. Jena is now an Advanced Certified Scrum Product Owner through Scrum Alliance and strives to use her skills with her company’s day to day operations.

Tammy Fisher

Agile Practice Lead, Practitioner
Onebridge

Tammy Fisher

Agile Practice Lead, Practitioner, Onebridge

CPT Alumnus (1984) Tammy Fisher is an Agile Practice lead for Onebridge. Ms. Fisher has 40 years of professional supporting and leading Enterprise Level Transformation. She holds degrees from Purdue University (BS Computer Technology), Murray State University (MBA), Stanford University (Advanced Project Management), and is an Expert Agile Coach certified through ICAgile. She has an extensive record of achievement in Crisis Project Management, Agile Transformation and Change Adoption. Her career focus has been on process Effectiveness and Efficiency Engineering - bridging the gap between business operations and technical delivery.

Loomis Heston

Manager of Data Engineering
Amazon Web Services

Loomis Heston

Manager of Data Engineering, Amazon Web Services

Loomis Heston, a 2016 alumnus of the Department of Computer and Information Technology (CIT), holds a Bachelor of Science degree with an emphasis in information systems. Upon completing his education, he embarked on a career at AWS, where he has demonstrated expertise and versatility in various roles within the Data Center realm. His contributions have been particularly impactful in the areas of Energy, Data Center Systems, Supply Chain, and Scientific endeavors. Throughout his tenure at AWS, Loomis has been dedicated to the development of data pipelines for machine learning and science initiatives. His primary focus revolves around the construction of robust data pipelines that support machine learning applications. Currently, he serves as a manager, leading a team of engineers responsible for crafting machine learning models tailored for the AWS Supply Chain.

Ryan Hurley

Director of Engineering - SMB West
Heartland Business Systems

Ryan Hurley

Director of Engineering - SMB West, Heartland Business Systems

Graduated from UW-Stout Bachelor's Degree in IT Management, Minor in Computer Science. Have been at HBS for 14 years - Worked at 3 different locations for HBS in Wisconsin. Heavily involved in the recruiting process and training of Engineering Associates and fresh graduate hires.

LinkedIn Profile

Edwina Payne

Board Director
Edwina Payne, LLC

Edwina Payne

Board Director, Edwina Payne, LLC

Edwina Payne is a global business leader with a proven track record of success across diverse industries, including life sciences, consumer goods, and banking. She currently serves on the board of directors for the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta as well as the Task Force for Global Health. She began her career at the Kellogg Company, and has held leadership roles at Johnson & Johnson, Zimmer Biomet, Avanos Medical, McKesson, and Varsity Brands. She also serves on the Dean's Council at Purdue Polytechnic, the Technology Advisory Board for Marion University, as well as several nonprofit boards in the Atlanta area.

LinkedIn Profile

Daniel Schumacher

VP of Information Technology
Toyota Material Handling North America

Daniel Schumacher

VP of Information Technology, Toyota Material Handling North America

Daniel is a strategic, engaging, and dynamic leader with 25+ years of experience creating and sustaining transformational business value and outcomes through digital and enterprise technology platforms. He is currently the VP of Information Technology at Toyota Material Handling North America, driving digital transformation throughout manufacturing and front office operations as well as the company's dealer management systems. He represents TMHNA on the SAP Global Automotive Advisory Council and is active with several organizations focused on innovation and exploring the art of the possible through technology. Previously Daniel was the Director of Global Applications and Digital Innovation at Komatsu and held business unit CIO and other executive IT roles at Johnson Controls.

Barry Smith

Managing Partner
CIO Resources

Barry Smith

Managing Partner, CIO Resources

Barry brings over 30 years of experience in all aspects of technology management with a strong interest in business innovation and optimization. His career includes Big Six consulting (Coopers & Lybrand), Fortune 500 IT management (Marriott International), a Silicon Valley startup (NetDynamics, now a division of Sun), and building nationally recognized, award-winning IT departments at the City of Gaithersburg, Maryland as well as the privately held Merkle Inc. In 2010 Barry went off on his own and founded CIO Resources a full-service, boutique firm focused on IT strategy, project management and staffing for emerging organizations. He currently is focused on finding ways to help non-profits grow their IT capacity through grants and also incubating, operating and selling multiple microstartups. Barry graduated from Purdue with a BS in Computer Technology in 1992 and also holds an MBA from The George Washington University with a custom concentration in Technology Product Management and Entrepreneurship.

Nathan White

Systems Engineer
Arista Networks

Nathan White

Systems Engineer, Arista Networks

After Purdue University, Nathan began his engineering career in the telecommunications industry with Verizon Communications as a carrier services engineer. He quickly moved into Customer Network Engineering focusing on campus, data center and wireless technologies and has been working as a Network Engineer for Network Integrators, VARS, and OEMs for over 20 years. He is currently working for Arista Networks as a System Engineer supporting local customers in the Ohio Valley Region. His work includes building large scale data centers for both on prem and cloud deployments as well as campus and WiFi networks. He has also done high density wireless design and deployment for sports and entertainment venues. His work focuses on bringing best of class technologies from development to the field to solve customer’s complex networking challenges.

Eric Williams

Technical Engineering Leader
Cisco Systems, Inc.

Eric Williams

Technical Engineering Leader, Cisco Systems, Inc.

CPT Alumnus (2001) - Telecommunications and Networking Track Eric Williams is a 2001 graduate of Purdue University, with a BS in Computer Technology. Eric currently holds a Technical Engineering Leader and previously a Technical Marketing Engineering role for Cisco Unified Computing System (UCS) focusing on server infrastructure and storage management, monitoring, automation, and orchestration. He has worked as a Technical Marketing Engineer at both DriveScale and Symantec, as a solutions architect at Red Hat and VERITAS focusing on datacenter automation, server provisioning and lifecycle management, application configuration management, process workflow automation, and application high availability. Eric also spent a five years at Caterpillar and Purdue University as a systems administrator.

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