School of Technology and Computing
Invited talks are recurring educational forums where industry pioneers, seasoned engineers, and specialized researchers are brought into the academic environment to share their frontline expertise. These sessions serve as a vital link between classroom theory and professional practice, offering students a window into the current state of the global technology landscape. By rotating speakers from diverse niches ranging from Artificial Intelligence to Cybersecurity the program ensures that students are exposed to the newest tools, methodologies, and ethical challenges that are currently shaping the industry.
Speaker: Matt Raio
Matt Raio is a Senior IT Professional and author with three decades of experience specializing in networking and cybersecurity. He actively shapes the next generation of tech professionals as an Adjunct Professor, teaching CS340 Operating Systems at CityU-Seattle and SEC460 DevSecOps at Bellevue College. A recognized voice in the industry, Matt is the author of Project Self: Strategies to Mastering IT and the 2026 release Coding with Agentic AI, both available on Google Play Books. His significant contributions to the cybersecurity landscape include collaborating on the NIST/CISA SP800-53 framework, creating the innovative “Hurricane Model” for assessing AI risk, and developing the sandbox method during his tenure at GNS3.
Time: 4:30 – 5:30 PM PT – Thursday, May 28th, 2026
Dr. Neelam Chahlia is a Sr. Technical Program Manager – Cybersecurity at T-Mobile, where she leads enterprise-scale security programs including T-ICAM, Intrusion Reconstruction, One ID, and the Data Shield Encryption Program – protecting regulated data across 104 applications (PCI-DSS, CMMC-CUI, CPNI, SPII). Her work sits at the intersection of technical rigor, program delivery, and enterprise risk.
Neelam’s path to cybersecurity is one of intentional reinvention. Holding a Ph.D. in Pharmacology and a University Gold Medal in Zoology (Human Genetics), she built an academic research career before taking a career break in 2011. She re-entered as a Software Test Engineer at Premera Blue Cross – saving $70K annually – then grew into project management, earned her Advanced Project Management Certificate from Stanford, and stepped into cybersecurity at T-Mobile in 2020. In 2019, she made history as the first Indian-American to compete at Mrs. America as Mrs. Washington America.
Beyond tech, Neelam serves on Redmond’s Arts & Culture Commission, and advocates fiercely for returnship programs and inclusive product development: “If you don’t intentionally include, you unintentionally exclude.”
Join Zoom Meeting
https://cityu-edu.zoom.us/j/81202358786?from=addon
Click here to watch Dr. Chahlia’s recorded talk
Time: 4:30 – 5:30 PM PT – Thursday, April 30th, 2026
Speaker: Dr Kim JinHo @University of Houston
Dr. Eric Chan-Tin is currently a Professor in the Department of Computer Science, the Founding Director of the Loyola Center for Cybersecurity, and the PI for the Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense at Loyola University Chicago. He received his Ph.D. degree in Computer Science from the University of Minnesota and his B.A. from Macalester College. His research areas are in network security, distributed systems, privacy, anonymity, and at the intersection of cybersecurity and social sciences. In 2020, he was recognized as a Master Researcher in the College of Arts and Sciences at Loyola University Chicago. He is the faculty advisor for the Loyola Women in Cybersecurity (WiCyS) student chapter, the Don’t Panic! Computer Science club, and the cybersecurity competitions 7968 club, and he coaches students to participate in cybersecurity competitions.
Most people are using HTTPS to enable encryption in web traffic. Many people are also using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to keep the communication source and destination private. In this research talk, a relatively new class of attacks called website fingerprinting attacks will be shown to be effective in predicting the website a victim is visiting, even with the use of HTTPS, VPN, and other anonymity tools. Possible countermeasures to this attack, along with the question of whether it is practical, will be discussed.
Click here to watch Dr. Eric’s recorded talk
Time: 4:30 – 5:30 PM PT – Thursday, Feb 12th, 2026
Speaker: Kyle Schroeder @ Gordon Thomas Honeywell Governmental Affairs
Forrest Fisher is the co-founder of MeeBoss, a Seattle startup making hiring and job searching more direct and human. MeeBoss is a free chat-first job matching platform that brings real people and opportunities together, easily connecting founders with startup-minded talent who actually want to help build something and make an impact. He is passionate about breaking down barriers in tech; he’s helped build teams and products at Disney, Adobe, and across startup ecosystems. Forrest’s mission is to build great products and technology to connect job seekers with founders, empower meaningful work, and fuel startup growth in the Pacific Northwest.
Join Forrest Fisher, Co-Founder of MeeBoss, for an inside look at how today’s fastest-growing startups are hiring and what it takes to stand out. MeeBoss is a chat-first job matching platform that is fast, personal, and completely free. Discover how real conversations and job matching can break through the “resume blackhole” to connect directly with founders and fast-moving teams. Hear practical advice for job seekers, graduating students, and international grads seeking career-changing opportunities right here in Seattle.
Click here to watch Forrest’s recorded talk
Time: 4:30 – 5:30 PM PT – Thursday, Dec 4th, 2025
Speaker: Deepak Kamboj, Senior Software Engineer @ Microsoft
Speaker: Brian Gosch, Director of Security Operations @ Abnormal Security
Brian Gosch currently serves as Director of Security Operations at Abnormal Security, where he leverages his extensive background in cybersecurity to protect organizations from emerging threats. His career spans multiple leadership roles in cybersecurity, including Director of Cyber Security Operations & Product Security at GoDaddy and Cloud Security Architect.
Brian’s presentation on “Practical Applications of AI for Detection Engineering” draws from his extensive experience implementing advanced threat detection systems across enterprise environments. His unique background combining security architecture, threat intelligence, and operational security gives him valuable insights into how AI can be effectively deployed to enhance detection capabilities while addressing the practical challenges of implementation in complex security operations.
Click here to watch Brian’s recorded talk
Time: 4:30 – 5:30 PM PT – Thursday, Aug 7th, 2025
City University of Seattle invites you to the Social Business Pitch Competition Championship, where innovation meets purpose and students showcase solutions to real-world social challenges.
This event highlights how social issues can be addressed through self-sustaining business models. You will have the opportunity to learn how top teams design, develop, and pitch their ventures while gaining inspiration to create your own social business. While one champion team will be crowned, all participating ideas represent meaningful and viable solutions that deserve continued exploration.
The competition is hosted by the School of Business and Management and includes finalists (Top 3 teams) presenting their ventures at the championship round.
Join us to explore innovative thinking, entrepreneurial impact, and career-building opportunities with CityU, where we continue to offer cutting-edge programs to help advance your professional journey.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://cityu-edu.zoom.us/j/85273399979?pwd=6nLLonHeMYT2wjdBCPv4shbjSFDkYL.1
Click here to watch the Social Business Pitch Competition recorded talk
Time: 4:30 – 6:00 PM PT – Thursday, May 7th, 2026
Speaker: Dr Neelam Chahlia @T-Mobile
Dr. Kim JinHo is an Assistant Professor of Management Information Systems at the Marilyn Davies College of Business, University of Houston–Downtown. His research focuses on IT capability, big data analytics, digital infrastructure, and AI-powered entrepreneurship, and he has published in leading MIS journals. Prior to academia, he worked in the IT industry as a software developer and technology strategist in cloud computing, mobile platforms, and enterprise systems. Dr. Kim is currently launching new initiatives focused on AI-powered entrepreneurship, no-code startup development, and experiential learning that enable students and professionals to turn ideas into scalable digital ventures.
Artificial intelligence is fundamentally reshaping the job market, particularly in technology- and analytics-driven fields, reducing the reliability of traditional career pathways while increasing the strategic importance of entrepreneurship and innovation capabilities. This talk addresses how AI, no-code platforms, and AI-assisted development are lowering the barriers to venture creation and enabling students to rapidly design, test, and launch technology-enabled business initiatives with limited resources. It also discusses how universities can support student-led venture experimentation through structured, low-risk environments that integrate emerging technologies, experiential learning, and industry-relevant innovation practices.
Click here to watch Dr. Kim’s recorded talk
Time: 4:30 – 5:30 PM PT – Thursday, Mar 5th, 2026
Speaker: Eric ChanTin @Loyola University
Kyle Schroeder earned his undergraduate degree from Pacific Lutheran University in 2015 and his Juris Doctor from the University of Washington School of Law in 2018, where he specialized in technology law and public policy. During law school, he served as a judicial extern for Justice Mary Yu of the Washington State Supreme Court and Judge Barbara Mack of the King County Superior Court.
Upon graduation, Kyle joined Gordon Thomas Honeywell Governmental Affairs (GTH) as a Governmental Affairs Consultant. His work has focused primarily on state, national, and international public policy in the field of forensic DNA. He has advised governments worldwide on drafting legislation and implementing national DNA database programs. Notably, he served as Associate Project Director for GTH’s role in a U.S. Department of State initiative to strengthen the legal and technical foundations of forensic DNA across Central America to combat human trafficking and organized crime. He also led efforts to facilitate regional sharing of DNA profiles, helping establish groundbreaking international data-sharing agreements between Central America and the United States (Texas). Kyle is a frequent speaker on the intersection of law, policy, and technology in the areas of forensic DNA and biometrics.
In addition to his work in forensic science policy, Kyle is active in the emerging field of artificial intelligence law and governance. He focuses on responsible AI integration for local governments, partnering with technical experts to help cities, counties, and ports adopt generative AI responsibly and effectively. In 2025, he founded GTH AI, a specialized team within Gordon Thomas Honeywell Governmental Affairs dedicated to advancing ethical and practical AI implementation in the public sector.
Click here to watch Kyle’s recorded talk
Time: 4:30 – 5:30 PM PT – Thursday, Jan 29th, 2026
Speaker: Forrest Fisher, Co-Founder @MeeBoss
Deepak Kamboj is a Senior Software Engineer at Microsoft with over 24 years of experience in the IT industry, including 8+ years in Enterprise and Solution Architecture. A passionate AI/ML Software Engineer, Solution Architect, and Technology Enthusiast, Deepak specializes in building AI agent frameworks, RAG systems, and MCP-based automation platforms that bridge software testing, productivity, and intelligent orchestration.
Deepak’s talk explores how AI has progressed from basic chatbots to fully autonomous agents that can plan, act, remember, and learn. He explains modern AI agent architectures, their components (like large language models, tools, memory, orchestration) and feedback, and shows practical design with no-code and low-code platforms such as n8n and LangChain. The session also highlights Microsoft’s AI agent ecosystem, real-world applications like onboarding, IT automation, and project tracking, and provides guidance for building effective, goal-driven AI agents.
Click here to watch Deepak’s recorded talk
Time: 4:30 – 5:30 PM PT – Thursday, Oct 23rd, 2025
Speaker: Trevor Crosby, Geospatial Intelligence Data Scientist @ John Deere
Trevor Crosby is a Geospatial Intelligence Data Scientist at John Deere, where he builds and manages machine learning systems to support decision-making and autonomy in global agriculture. With a background in horticulture and remote sensing, Trevor holds a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and has published research and filed patents in agricultural AI systems. Trevor also organizes the Seattle Data Professionals Meetup Group, which connects local scientists, engineers, and analysts in the data and machine learning field
In this talk, Trevor will explore how AI and machine learning are practically applied across real-world data science projects. Drawing from his professional and research experience, he’ll highlight core project design principles and strategies for evaluating and managing AI products. This session will help attendees understand what hiring teams look for and how to demonstrate industry readiness as well as how they can grow effectively as data professionals.
Click here to watch Trevor’s recorded talk
Time: 4:30 – 5:30 PM PT – Thursday, July 24th, 2025