Tobi West, PhD, CISSP
Director of Coastline College’s Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) education.
Achievements
Life’s path has provided the opportunity for fun activities that have led to success and recognition along the way.
CAE CoP-CD Community Service Recognition Award
2022
Coastline College Teacher of the Year
2021
Received recognition at the Coastline’s graduation ceremony and at the Academic Senate Virtual Celebration. Also nominated for Orange County Teacher of the Year.
Prizes for Teach of the Year are sponsored by Orange County Department of Education and Schools First Credit Union.
Nominated for Woman of Distinction by Senator Umberg
2021
Tobi West (CISSP, GCFE, CCFE), Professor and Department Chair of the Computer Information Systems (CIS) and Computer Services Technology (CST), was recently nominated as being a Woman of Distinction in the field of Education by State Senator Thomas J. Umberg (D-Santa Ana).
The Women of Distinction program was established as part of the Senate’s celebration of Women’s History Month in March. Senator Umberg has continued this tradition locally to pay tribute to these remarkable female leaders who have made extraordinary accomplishments in their professions and whose service has made a significant contribution to the community in the 34th Senate District. Senator Umberg noted, “As the husband and father of two such strong women, and grandfather of two (soon to be three) granddaughters, I know full well the importance of both fostering education, independence, and confidence in women and respectfully honoring their many achievements.” .
In addition to her position as Professor and Department Chair at Coastline College, Tobi West has developed and hosts GenCyber girls’ camps and workshops for teen girls in cybersecurity and technology education and career pathways called CyberTech Girls. Professor West has spent her professional educational career innovating offerings to provide the best for students. She is the ultimate mentor for others who are looking to pursue a career in cybersecurity. Under her leadership, Tobi West has blazed a pathway for the next generation of female leaders.
“It is an incredible honor to be nominated and considered for Senator Umberg’s Women of Distinction award this year. I continuously strive to provide students with the pathways to help them with academic achievement and career preparation to enter the cybersecurity workforce. I believe hands-on activities and connections with professional mentors are the way to build a diverse workforce and protect our Nation’s security.” Tobi West
Coastline’s Computer Information Systems (CIS) and Computer Services Technology (CST) is recognized as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CDE) by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). There are only six community colleges in California that hold this distinct designation and Coastline was the first community college in California to receive this prestigious designation in 2014.
ASCCC Exemplary Program Award
2020
Coastline College is one of two community colleges in California to receive the 2020 Exemplary Program Award from the Academic Senate of California Community Colleges (ASCCC).
Coastline’s Cybersecurity program received the Exemplary Program Award at the Board of Governors meeting on January 14, 2020 in Sacramento, CA. The Computer Service Technology and Computer Information Systems departments are honored to receive this recognition from ASCCC. CIS and CST are committed to the development of cyber defense education pathways and cybersecurity workforce development initiatives. Coastline College’s cybersecurity pathways include activities from middle school to career opportunities.
Faculty, staff, and administration work closely together to make the events and learning pathways possible for Coastline students and local K-12 students. The program continues to grow and change to keep up with the pace of advancing technology through the development of partnerships with industry and government. We are fortunate to have support at all levels within the College and CCCD IT. We will continue to be dynamic and responsive to technological changes to ensure that students can achieve their academic and career goals in cybersecurity.
Among the various pathway initiatives, the program includes CyberTech Girls workshops and CyberPatriot competitions for middle school and high school students, an online Associate of Science in Cybersecurity degree with hands-on technical experiences, a cybersecurity student club, skill-building cybersecurity competitions, and on-the-job training and industry certifications for apprentices in the CA Cybersecurity Apprenticeship Program. We look forward to continuing these efforts to build the cyber workforce of tomorrow!
NCAE-CD Re-designation
2019
Coastline College has been named again a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CDE) by the National Security Agency (NSA) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS). There are only three community colleges in California that hold this distinct designation and Coastline was the first community college in California to receive this prestigious designation in 2014.
The National Centers of Academic Excellence (CAE) in Information Assurance/Cyber Defense designation was jointly established by the National Security Agency (NSA) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in 2010. It recognizes excellence in the institutional approach to cybersecurity, excellence of the academic program, broad inculcation of cybersecurity in all facets of the institution (including academic programs, information technology policies, and broad awareness of cybersecurity issues across the campus), faculty and staff development, and the institution’s outreach to the community.
“It is an honor to have Coastline College’s Cybersecurity program receive the designation of Center of Academic Excellence again this year. This identification as CAE by DHS and NSA is further demonstration of Coastline College’s ongoing commitment to the development of cyber defense education pathways and cybersecurity workforce development initiatives,” said Professor Tobi West, CISSP, GCFE, CCFE, CIS/CST Department Chair, Coastline College.
Coastline’s Cybersecurity program offers a traditional 60-unit Associate of Science degree, in addition to a number of career certificates, the program provides professional development, assistance with curriculum development, and application support for other colleges in the South Western region. Cybersecurity students learn how to design, manage, and secure computer network systems to prepare for a variety of positions in this specialized field. The program’s curriculum includes courses in Security, Ethical Hacking, and Digital Forensics. The program continues to host many regional cybersecurity events and has received numerous national grants.
Tobi West 