Christy Chatmon profile picture CCI FSU Tallahassee FL

Christy Chatmon

Assistant Professor

Office:
LSB 272

As a higher education educator for almost 24 years, I seek to instill in my students a love of teaching and a passion for learning. I believe in including students as collaborators in the process of building their educational experience. To motivate students, I strive to create a vibrant, student-centered environment through the use of interactive instructional activities. My goal is to foster an environment in which they may reach their full potential and are encouraged to share their thoughts and creativity. I have high expectations for both myself and my students and aim to bring a positive attitude and an open mind to the classroom each day.

As partial evidence of my commitment to teaching, mentoring, and academic advisement, I have received the following teaching awards:

Remarks from a former student, who nominated me for the Florida State University’s Transformation Through Teaching Award (2017), reflect this effort:

“In courses where programming is involved, there are students who have been coding since they were 10 years old and know the ins & outs like the back of their hand, and there are students like me. For someone who doesn't even know where to begin (i.e. most of the students in the ICT major), it can be very intimidating when you feel as if you have already begun learning too late. Ms. Chatmon, though, claims that there are 'no coders left behind', and stays true to it. She stays after class to draw images and explain theories and brings in opportunities left and right to give her students every chance to be immersed in the field. This is my second semester in one of her classes, and her passion for teaching the subject shines brighter than our laptop screens!”

I believe that in order for students of information technology to be successful, whether in industry or in pursuit of an advanced degree, they must be critical thinkers, lifelong learners, and capable of working independently and collaboratively. The process of learning is not passive. The ability of a learner to apply what they have learned is a true indicator of their comprehension. I've discovered that incorporating Learn-by-Doing and Pair-Programming into my lessons not only allows students to demonstrate their knowledge, but also fosters their growth in communication, problem-solving, teamwork, and critical thinking abilities.

Information technology is an exciting and fast-paced field. When constructing my courses, I frequently engage with former students who are now working in the information technology area, recruiters, and job listings and blogs, as well as information technology journals, to ensure that my courses remain current and relevant. To increase my students' workforce readiness, I align my course content with the information and skills they need to not only get recruited but also contribute immediately as new recruits. Additionally, I frequently invite industry representatives to my classes to address businesses' current and emerging IT needs.

Apart from my teaching and departmental responsibilities, I have served as a mentor in both formal and informal roles at a variety of institutions and at various levels of responsibility. These experiences have shaped me as a person and an academic, both personally and professionally.

Education

  • Ph.D., Information, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 2022
  • Master of Science, Software Engineering, Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, FL, 2000
  • Bachelor of Science, Psychology, University of Georgia,  Athens, GA, 1994

Research Interests

STEM Education; Information Technology; K-12 Pathways; Active Learning Pedagogy

Teaching Interests

Information Technology; Database Management Systems; Professional Development; Computer Security; Programming (Java, C++, and Web Development);

Publications & Research

  • --Ho, S., von Eberstein, A., and Chatmon, C. “Expansive Learning in Cyber Defense: Transformation of Organizational Information Security Culture”, Proceedings of the 12th Annual Symposium on Information Assurance (ASIA'17), 2017.
  • --Chatmon, C., Hongmei, C., and Davis W. “Active Learning Approaches to Teaching Information Assurance”, InfoSecCD ’10, 2010.
  • --Hongmei, C., Chatmon, C, Jones, E., and Evans D. “Design and Implementation of Digital Forensics Labs:  A Case Study for Teaching Digital Forensics to Undergraduate Students”, Computers and Advanced Technology in Education, 2009.
  • --Chatmon, C., Tri van Le, and Mike B. “Secure Anonymous RFID Authentication Protocols” (Technical Report 2006).
  • --Gant, J. and Chatmon, C. “Security and Privacy Concerns for Ubiquitous Applications such as RFIDs”, Association of Computer and Information Science/Engineering Departments at Minority Institutions (ADMI), 2006.
  • --Chatmon, E. Jones and D. Evans, “Information Assurance Collaboration: A Success Story,” Proceedings of ADMI 2005, Rincon, Puerto Rico, October 13-15, 2005, 16-25.
  • --Evans, D.W. and Chatmon, C.L., "Increasing minority participation in IA," Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Information Technology Based Higher Education and Training (ITHET2005), July 7-9, 2005, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
  • --Jones, E. and Chatmon, C.: “A Perspective on Teaching Software Testing," Journal of Computing in Small Colleges, Vol. 16, 4, March 2001, 92-100.
  • --Chatmon, C., Stoecklin, S., and Clement A.: “UML Based Design of an Intelligent Manufacturing Workcell Controller,” Proceedings of SPIE Vol. 4192, 2000.

Grants & Awards

Honors, Awards. and Fellowships:

  • --Recipient of the "Academic Leadership Award" (2019).  The Academic Leadership Award was awarded by the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA) Tallahassee's SheLeadsTech program for "demonstrating exceptional academic leadership within the community." The SheLeadsTech program seeks to increase the representation of women in technology leadership roles and the tech workforce.
  • --Recipient of the FSU College of Communication and Information "College Undergraduate Faculty Teaching Award" (2018). Undergraduate students vote to recognize the teacher who has had a positive impact on their academic endeavors.
  • --Recipient of the FSU College of Communication and Information "Doctoral Student Research Presentation Award" (2018).  Over 46 College of Communication and Information doctoral students and faculty members gathered at FSU's Alumni Center Ballroom for the annual Doctoral Student Research Presentation and Reception on November 28, 2018. Twenty posters from the FSU's School of Communication, School of Information, and School of Communication Science and Disorders competed for travel awards.
  • --Recipient of the FSU "University Undergraduate Teaching Award" (2018).  The University Teaching Awards program recognizes faculty for excellence in undergraduate and graduate teaching. Recipients must be outstanding in the many aspects of teaching which contribute to successful teaching and learning. This is a student-oriented award with nominations submitted by students and alumni. Each recipient receives a $2000 award.
  • --Recipient of the FSU "Transformation Through Teaching Award" (2017). Transformation Through Teaching is a program established through the Spiritual Life Project to honor full-time faculty that have had an intellectual, inspirational, and integrative impact on the lives of their students. These Florida State University faculty have been nominated for their transformational role in their student's academic life and were selected by FSU's Spiritual Life Project on the basis of the students' compelling stories.
  • --Recipient of the NSF-Team for Research in Ubiquitous Secure Technology (TRUST) fellow, Women’s Institute in Summer Enrichment (WISE) Summer Program, July 2011, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA.
  • --Best Paper Award – “Active Learning Approaches to Teaching Information Assurance” Information Security Curriculum Development Conference (INFOSECCD), October 2010, Kennesaw, GA.
  • --CIS ABET Accreditation recognition for outstanding contribution towards department branding and public relations, 2007.
  • --University recognition for Publishing “A Perspective on Teaching Software Testing”, 2001.
  • --NSF CREST Fellow, Florida A&M University/Florida International University Center for Distributed Computing (FCDC), 1998 -2000.

Grants:

  • --(Co-Principal Investigator) CPATH I: CT-Driven Evolution to Studio-Based Active Learning, National Science Foundation, 2009-2012, $300,000.
  • --(Co-Principal Investigator) MSEIP: Broadening Information Assurance Awareness and Competence (BIAAC), Department of Education, 2008-2012, $600,000.
  • --(Co-Principal Investigator) Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program (MSEIP): The FAMU Multimedia Learning Resource Management System (FAMULEARNS) for STEM Instructional Enhancement, the Department of Education, 2007-2010, $468,000.
  • --(Senior Personnel) MII: Holistic Model for Minority Education and Research, National Science Foundation, 2004-09, $1,000,000.
  • --(Co-Principal Investigator) Collaborative Proposal: Information Assurance Pipeline:  Undergraduate to Doctorate, National Science Foundation, 2005-07, $200,000.
  • --(Co-Principal Investigator) Federal Cyber Service Training and Education Initiative – Capacity Building Track, National Science Foundation, 2003-05, $200,000.