Miami, July 8, 2022 – Dr. Diego Tibaquirá, Miami Dade College (MDC) computer science professor with expertise in cybersecurity and cloud computing, has been selected as a STEM representative to the 2022 PHI Theta Kappa (PTK) Honors Program Council. Tibaquirá is one five faculty selected nationwide to serve on the council this year.
During his four-year term, which begins this month with the council’s meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Prof. Tibaquirá, will help make recommendations to PTK’s headquarters staff about the biennial Honors Study Topic; assist with the compilation of the Honors Program Guide, and serve as a member of the editorial board for Civic Scholar: Phi Theta Kappa Journal of Undergraduate Research.
“It is an Honor and a privilege to be selected, and I’m fortunate to represent Miami Dade College at the council,” Prof. Tibaquirá said. “This is an excellent opportunity to enact change and bring more knowledge into our PTK chapter.”
Prof. Tibaquirá has worked at MDC for 18 years, is the lead advisor of the PTK Honors Society chapter at Padron Campus and serves as Lead Faculty for the Honors College. He has been instrumental in building the curriculum in cybersecurity and cloud computing at the College, where he teaches courses on those subjects along with Introduction to Computers, Networking and Operating Systems.
Prof. Tibaquirá is a two-time Endowed Teaching Chair, one of MDC’s most prestigious and valued traditions. In 2021, he was nominated to the Ethical Hacker Hall of Fame and elected to the grade of Senior Member by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) for recognition of Professional Standing and Significant Performance in the field and received the Academic Instructor Circle of Excellence Award. That same year, he was selected as a Fulbright Specialist. This year, he received the Outstanding Community College Professional Award.
After serving in the U.S. Marines, Prof. Tibaquirá attended the University of North Carolina Greensboro and North Carolina A&T University, where he earned a master’s degree in computer science and a graduate certificate in information privacy and security sponsored by the National Security Agency (NSA). He then obtained a doctorate in computer science from NOVA University. In addition, since 2017 he has been investing time to help student veterans, providing them with professional development opportunities. He has also been involved in the design of the cybersecurity curriculum, focused on updating courses and developing new programs, and securing critical grant funding.
About Phi Theta Kappa
Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) recognizes the academic achievement of college students and provides opportunities for its members to grow as scholars and leaders. Established in 1918, PTK has a presence on almost 1,300 community college campuses in 11 nations. The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) recognized PTK as the official honor society for two-year colleges in 1929. More than 3.5 million students have been inducted since 1918, with approximately 250,000 active members in the nation’s community colleges, making it a true catalyst among members and colleges. For more information, please visit https://www.ptk.org/