Board Members

Joan serves as the Graduate Studies Coordinator at the Dreeben School of Education.  She teaches Law and Ethics in Cyber Security, Risk Management and Policy in Cybersecurity,  Law in Higher Education, Legal Issues in Student Affairs, and Texas School Law. She earned her Juris Doctor degree from St. Mary’s University School of Law and a Master of Jurisprudence in Education with a certificate in Cyber Law and Data Security and Compliance, Business Law & Risk. She is also an alumnus of Incarnate Word High School.

She serves as the administrative advisor for the UIW Compassion Student Peer Organization (CSPO) and liaison to the ESC Region 20 Cohort Leadership Associates (CoLA) program. She is a member of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) and serves on the Review Board for the NASPA Journal of Women and Gender in Higher Education. Dr. Labay-Marquez is a member of Women in Cyber Security (WiCyS) and participates in the mentor/mentee program. She is also a member of UIW’s WiCyS student organization and directs the Young Women’s Global Leadership Program.

Geeta is currently working as an Assistant Professor in Cyber Defense Department at Northeast Lakeview College. She has done her Master's in computer information systems with a cybersecurity concentration from Boston University,  Prior to that She did her Bachelor's in Engineering from the Institute of Electronics & Communication Engineers, New Delhi, India. She is SAN's Certified Incident Handler (GCIH) & Cisco -certified Senior Network Security Engineer.

She has around 20 years of experience in designing and implementing network infrastructure & security in one of the largest ISP (National Informatics Centre, Delhi, India).  She was working in NIC as Deputy Director and posted in HQS in the core Networking & Communication Group. She has been associated with multiple PAN India National level Projects.  She is one of our founding members of the San Antonio Affiliate.
Geeta enjoys learning new skills. Her passion is to participate in diversity and inclusion initiatives to encourage more women to explore careers in tech.  Geeta loves listening to Bollywood music, hiking,  traveling with her family, and exploring different cultures,  particularly food.

Meerna Ammari is a Senior Instructor of Computer Information Systems (CIS) at the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) and serves as faculty advisor for the UIW Women in Cyber Security (UIW-WiCyS) Student Chapter. She joined UIW in Spring 2019 and has since played a pivotal role in advancing the CIS and Cybersecurity programs, contributing to curriculum design and program development.

Meerna holds a Master of Science in Information Technology from the University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Al Balqa' Applied University in Jordan. She also earned a graduate certificate in Telecommunications Management and holds professional certifications including Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) and Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP).

With extensive experience in curriculum and program design, Meerna has developed and updated curriculum to align with evolving industry standards and to prepare students for success in the fast-changing fields of technology and cybersecurity. In 2023, she was instrumental in helping UIW’s Cybersecurity program earn the National Security Agency’s Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (NSA-CAE) designation.

Before transitioning to academia, Meerna accumulated over 12 years of industry experience. Her career includes roles as a Network and System Administrator at the Minesen Company in Hawaii, a Cisco Customer Support Engineer at Estarta Solutions in Jordan, and a Technical Support Engineer at Accurate Technologies in Jordan. Passionate about teaching and mentoring, Meerna is committed to preparing the next generation of technology and cybersecurity professionals

Jessica Vazquez is a Security Operations Center (SOC) Analyst at Motorola Solutions with over three years of experience in cybersecurity. Jessica earned a Master of Science in Information Technology from Northwestern University and a Bachelor of Professional Studies in Technology Management from Excelsior University. In her current role, Jessica focuses on detecting and responding to evolving cyber threats while continuously expanding her expertise in emerging technologies, including the application of artificial intelligence to enhance security operations and improve efficiency.

She is an active member of the Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS) community and other professional organizations, regularly attending conferences and engaging with the broader information security community.

Prior to transitioning into cybersecurity, Jessica served for 12 years as a Telecommunications Specialist with the United States Navy and the Department of Defense. During her service, she was stationed in Japan and traveled extensively throughout Asia, including Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, and Thailand. She spent much of her naval career in San Diego, which she considers her second home. Outside of her professional work, Jessica is passionate about supporting active duty service members as they transition to civilian careers. She enjoys attending San Diego Comic-Con each year, spending time with her husband and dogs, and watching reality tv. 

Areej has a  Ph.D. degree in Computer Science from the University of Texas at San Antonio. Her research includes network security, machine learning, and visualization. She teaches courses in cyber security and programming. She is passionate about empowering women to pursue careers in computing in general and in cybersecurity in particular. In her free time she enjoys drawing and listening to audio books.

Areej is one of our founding members and someone who worked tirelessly to bring a WiCyS affiliate to San Antonio. She has been passionate about providing opportunities to women in the field both through her career as university professor and  her role in WiCyS San Antonio affiliate.