Officials at Claremont Graduate University gathered on Sept. 5^th to celebrate the launch of the Inland Cyber Defense Clinic (ICDC), a new milestone in advancing cybersecurity education, leadership, and collaboration across the Inland Empire.

The ICDC is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing students with hands-on training in cybersecurity while serving the community through research, outreach, and partnerships. ICDC’s mission focuses on protecting the vulnerable communities, including the veterans, children, and the seniors, by addressing emerging threats to strengthen the digital resilience.

The celebration began with a welcome message from Dr. Itamar Shabtai, Dean of Center for Information Systems and Technology (CISAT), followed by an opening remark from Dr. Jody Waters, Provost of Claremont Graduate University (CGU). A highlight of the launch was the clinic’s exclusive collaboration with the Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles, reflecting a shared commitment to encouraging and empowering young women to pursue their passion in the STEM field and leadership.

As part of the opening celebration, a featured panel discussion was held on “AI Dilemma: Shaping Women’s Role in Cybersecurity Governance, Regulations, and Decision-Making.”

The panel featured:

• Jeanette DePattie, founder at Propelhead-Inc
• Rosemary Ampuero-Jacobs, product & program exec at AutoDCP
• Paniz Herrera, cybersecurity & AI consultant at Deloitte, Ph.D. candidate at CGU
• Nicole Traboulsi, senior vulnerability engineer at Oracle, Ph.D. student at CGU
• Elissar Abdul Khalek, entrepreneur & Ph.D. student at CGU

The ceremony ended with cutting of ribbon and a closing remark by Dr. Patricia Easton, the CGU’s Vice President of Strategy who also serves as the Faculty Advisor, Logistics and Partnerships for ICDC.

ICDC is also a member of the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics, a growing global network of 55 clinics worldwide. Through this partnership, ICDC will collaborate with organizations around the world to advance cybersecurity awareness and community protection.

For more information, please reach out to icdc@cgu.edu.