2025 Research Collaboration and Safeguards Workshop
This is an invitation-only workshop on initiating and safeguarding our research partnerships. Registration is complimentary, but seating is limited and available first come, first serve.
Agenda
| 7:30 – 8:00 a.m. | Continental breakfast and registration | |
| Workshop moderated by Lew Lefton, Emeritus Associate Vice President of Research Computing, Georgia Tech | ||
| 8:00 a.m. | Welcome and Opening Remarks | Costas Spirou Chief Innovation and Entrepreneurial Strategies Officer, University System of Georgia |
| 8:05 a.m. | Overview of Research Security | Tim Lieuwen Executive Vice President for Research, Georgia Tech |
| 8:15 a.m. | NSF Updates on Research Security | Sarah Stalker-Lehoux
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| 9:20 a.m. | NSF SECURE Program Update and Stakeholder Feedback | Deepika Bhatia David Sundvall |
| 10:05 a.m. | Break | |
| 10:20 a.m. | Safeguarding the Research Enterprise: Addressing Foreign Influence and Cybersecurity Risks | Special Agent Peter Ellis Federal Bureau of Investigation |
| 11:00 a.m. | Data Centers as Strategic Assets: Securing the Research Enterprise | Aaron Jezghani Senior Research Scientist, Georgia Tech |
| 11:30 a.m. | National Counterintelligence and Security Center - Safeguarding Academia Overview | Kristin H. West Director, Research Ethics and Compliance, COGR |
| Noon | Networking Lunch | |
| 1:00 p.m. | Cybersecurity in Industry and Higher Ed - A Fireside Chat | Jamil Farshchi Joe Lewis Eric Scott |
| 2:00 p.m. | Where Are We Now: An Updated Look at the U.S. Federal Government's Scrutiny of Research Institutions | Adria Perez, J.D. Partner, Reed Smith LLP |
| 2:45 p.m. | The Role of Export Control in Research Security | Marissa Cloutier Tami Hemingway |
| 3:15 p.m. | Break | |
| 3:30 p.m. | Georgia Tech Federal Relations Perspective | Robert Knotts Executive Director of Federal Relations, Georgia Tech |
| 4:15 p.m. | Research Security and Cybersecurity - Faculty Perspective (10 minutes) + Q&A | Tanta Myles Lauren Stewart William Robinson Georgia Tech Karin Scarpinato |
| 4:50 p.m. | Closing Remarks | Tim Lieuwen Executive Vice President for Research Georgia Tech |
Presenters
Costas Spirou
Costas Spirou serves as the Chief Innovation and Entrepreneurial Strategies Officer for the University System of Georgia (USG). In this role, he focuses on developing and implementing strategies to advance innovation and entrepreneurship in alignment with USG’s mission across research, education, and public service. He works to ensure that opportunities are accessible across all institutions within the system. Additionally, he leads efforts to create shared programs, startups, incubators, and funding mechanisms that enhance USG’s collective impact and support the state’s economic development goals, workforce needs, and technology transfer initiatives. Spirou also holds a faculty position in the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts at the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Tim Lieuwen
Tim Lieuwen is the executive vice president for Research (EVPR) at the Georgia Institute of Technology. In this role, he oversees the Institute’s $1.47 billion portfolio of research, economic development, and sponsored activities. This includes leadership of the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), the Enterprise Innovation Institute, nine interdisciplinary research institutes (IRIs), and related research administrative support units.
In his 25-plus years at Georgia Tech, Lieuwen earned his master's and Ph.D. degrees in mechanical engineering (1996 and 1999, respectively) and has held multiple leadership positions. He has been the executive director of the Strategic Energy Institute (SEI) since 2012 and began serving as the interim chair of the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering in 2023.
Lieuwen has received numerous honors and recognition for his work in clean energy systems and policy, national security, and regional economic development. Additionally, he has been awarded the titles of Regents’ Professor and the David S. Lewis, Jr. Chair in AE. He is also a member of the National Academy of Engineering and is a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
Sarah Stalker-Lehoux
Sarah Stalker-Lehoux Ms. Sarah Stalker-Lehoux is the Acting Chief of Research Security Strategy and Policy at the National Science Foundation (NSF).
Stalker-Lehoux comes to NSF with a wealth of experience focused on both promoting and protecting U.S. technology. Prior to joining NSF, Stalker-Lehoux was a Senior Compliance Specialist in the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls at the U.S. Department of State. While at State, Stalker-Lehoux spent a one-year detail at the National Security Council (NSC) as a Director for Technology and National Security. While at the NSC, Stalker-Lehoux worked on multiple interagency policy committee (IPC) processes related to research security, the Committee for Foreign Investments in the United States (CFIUS), data security, critical and emerging technology and export controls, and countering foreign malign influence, and strengthening STEM talent. The IPC processes included those related to National Security Presidential Memorandum-33 on protecting U.S. Government-supported research and development against foreign government interference and exploitation, among other policy priority areas.
Prior to her term at the State Department, Stalker-Lehoux spent nine years at the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security working on U.S. export controls for emerging technology. She has a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and political science from the State University of New York at Albany and a Master of Public Administration with a concentration in international business management from American University.
Deepika Bhatia
Deepika Bhatia is a seasoned research compliance leader with nearly two decades of experience in research administration and regulatory affairs. As Associate Vice President for Research Compliance & Regulatory Affairs at Emory University, she leads strategic oversight and continuous improvement of the university’s research compliance infrastructure in close collaboration with key stakeholders across campus.
In her role, Deepika directs all major research compliance units—including Conflicts of Interest & Commitment (COI/COC), Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), Research Integrity, Research Security, and Export Controls—ensuring the development and execution of a proactive, integrated compliance strategy that supports the integrity and success of Emory’s academic research enterprise.
She also serves as Emory’s Research Integrity Officer and Chief Research Compliance & Security Officer, reinforcing the university’s commitment to ethical research practices and national security standards.
Deepika holds a graduate degree in biomedical engineering and maintains multiple professional certifications, including research and privacy compliance (HCCA), corporate ethics (SCCE), and clinical research (SoCRA).
David Sundvall
David Sundvall is the Assistant Director for Research Security at Emory University, as well as Deputy Director for NSF SECURE SE regional center. He has a MBA in International Business, and more than 20 years of experience in research compliance (administration, export controls and research security).
Peter Ellis
Peter Ellis was named Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Office in December of 2023. Ellis has oversight of FBI Atlanta’s National Security programs to include Counterterrorism, Counterintelligence, and Cyber.
Ellis entered on duty with the FBI in July of 2005 where he was assigned to Los Angeles. In March of 2015, Ellis served as a Supervisory Special Agent over a Counterterrorism squad in Los Angeles, and in March of 2017, served as an Assistant Section Chief at FBIHQ where he supported the FBI’s Counterterrorism mission. In May of 2020, Ellis became the Senior Supervisory Resident Agent of West Michigan.
Aaron Jezghani
Aaron Jezghani is a Senior Research Scientist with the Partnership for an Advanced Computing Environment (PACE) at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he leads strategic initiatives in advanced cyberinfrastructure to support cutting-edge research across disciplines. With a Ph.D. in Nuclear Physics and a background spanning experimental science, HPC systems architecture, and AI policy, he has contributed to major NSF-funded efforts including the national capacity resource, Nexus, and a novel architecture testbed, the Rogues Gallery. Jezghani collaborates with academic, government, and industry partners to design resilient, scalable platforms that drive innovation in research computing. He is also a dedicated educator and mentor, shaping the next generation of scientists and engineers through instruction, outreach, and leadership in national computing communities.
Kris West
Kris West, JD, MS, is the Director for Research Compliance and Ethics at the Council on Governmental Relations (COGR). She provides regulatory and policy analysis in the areas of human and animal subjects research, conflict of interest, biosafety, and research security.
COGR is an association of over 200 research-intensive universities, colleges, independent research institutions, and health care institutions that supports its members in the areas of research administration, compliance, financial oversight, and intellectual property. COGR focuses on the impact of federal regulations, policies, and practices on the performance of research conducted at our member institutions and advocate for sound, efficient, and effective regulation that safeguards research and minimizes administrative and cost burdens.
Prior to joining COGR, West worked for Emory University, first as Senior Associate General Counsel and later as Chief Compliance Officer.
West is an active member of the Georgia Bar. She graduated from the University of Maryland (B.A) and Mercer University School of Law (J.D.) and holds a M.S. degree in drug regulatory affairs from the University of Florida.
Jamil Farshchi
Jamil Farshchi is Executive Vice President, Chief Technology Officer of Equifax. Farshchi joined Equifax in the aftermath of one of the most consequential data breaches in history. During his tenure, he has led an unprecedented ~$3 billion transformation and has built what is regarded as one of the most advanced, effective, and transparent cybersecurity and privacy programs in business today.
Prior to Equifax, Farshchi was Chief Information Security Officer of The Home Depot, Chief Information Security Officer of Time Warner, Vice President of Global Information Security for Visa, Chief Information Security Officer of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Deputy Chief Information Assurance Officer of NASA.
Farshchi serves on the Board of Directors for UKG, is a Strategic Advisor for the FBI and serves on the Board of Directors for the National Technology Security Coalition. He was named a Top Voice in Technology and Innovation by LinkedIn.
Joe Lewis
Joe Lewis currently serves as the Associate Vice President of IT and Chief Information Security Officer for Georgia Institute of Technology. In this capacity, he provides strategic direction and implementation of the Institute’s cybersecurity program to ensure the cybersecurity Georgia Tech’s data, systems, staff, and infrastructure. Lewis joined Georgia Tech with broad experience and expertise in strategic planning, coalition building, IT service delivery, regulatory compliance and cybersecurity program implementation.
In his previous assignment, he served as the Vice President, Cybersecurity Solutions for Leidos Health and Civil Sector, and Interim Chief Information Security Officer for Leidos QTC Health Services. In those roles he oversaw the cybersecurity program for a $5.2B portfolio, including Leidos QTC Health Services which provides disability and pension exam services to US military veterans.
Before joining Leidos Lewis was a public servant for nearly 15 years. His most recent federal appointment was as the Chief Information Security Officer for the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In that role, he oversaw the agency’s cybersecurity and privacy program implementation. While there he leveraged his experience and skills to implement and manage a global cybersecurity program for CDC’s portfolio of systems. He served on the Enterprise Risk Management Governance Board and the IT and Data Governance Executive Committee. Before his federal service, Lewis worked in the private sector as Production and Operations Manager and served honorably in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2000-2007.
Lewis is an accomplished cybersecurity senior executive. He holds multiple industry certifications in cybersecurity and project management. He is a graduate of the Carnegie Mellon University Chief Information Security Officer’s Executive Education Program and earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Information Systems and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. He earned and a Master of Public Service and Administration from Texas A&M University’s Bush School of Government and completed his Ph.D. in Cybersecurity Leadership from Capitol Technology University.
Eric Scott
Eric R. Scott is the inaugural and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and Director of the Information and Cybersecurity Department (ICD) at GTRI. Scott has the overall responsibility to provide vision and leadership for the cybersecurity & compliance programs of unclassified systems, data, and networks at GTRI. This includes but not limited to information security operations, cyber risk & intelligence, data loss & fraud protection, privacy, data governance, regulatory compliance, policy management and audits & assessment. Scott serves on the GTRI IT leadership team, and is responsible for overseeing all aspects of unclassified cybersecurity at GTRI.
Scott came up through the technical ranks starting as junior helpdesk analyst and progressing through systems and networks before shifting exclusively to cybersecurity 20 years ago. Scott not only has a solid background in cybersecurity, but also specifically leading cybersecurity within research and development (R&D) organizations as well. Before joining GTRI, Scott led the enterprise cybersecurity efforts at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and before that at the Defense Advance Projects Agency (DARPA). Furthermore, Scott served as the MAJCOM Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for the Air National Guard (ANG) overseeing the cybersecurity all the ANG intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) systems and assets. Throughout his career, Scott also supported cyber efforts for the United States Navy (USN), the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), and the Department of Energy (DOE).
Scott is combat veteran, retiring after 20 years of honorable service in the United States Marine Corps (USMC) Reserves where he worked in information technology, cybersecurity, and information operations.
Scott holds an Associate of Applied Technology (AAT) degree from Athens Technical College, an Associate of Arts (AA) degree from Pensacola State College, a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) degree from Shippensburg University and a Master of Science (MS) degree from George Mason University. Scott is also a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), and a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP).
Adria Perez
Adria Perez focuses her practice on representing institutions and corporations in white-collar criminal defense matters, government enforcement and cross-border issues and participating in independent corporate monitorships. Her experience includes advising higher education institutions on issues relating to research security and alleged False Claims Act violations, as well as advising organizations in relation to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, commercial bribery, criminal antitrust and environmental crimes. Perez regularly assists clients in responding to government inquiries and investigations from a variety of federal agencies. She also counsels clients on developing and strengthening compliance programs and policies. Perez has been recognized as a leader in government investigations by top legal directories.
Marissa Cloutier
Marissa Cloutier is a National Security Policy Advisor at K&L Gates LLP. She brings nearly 15 years of national security and trade experience from senior roles in the US government at the US Department of State, US Department of the Air Force, NASA, and US Department of Commerce and at a private defense contractor. Cloutier's background includes drafting and successfully implementing the current official US Department of State export control compliance guidelines and risk assessment criteria for defense, and technology companies and universities, resolving complex investigations of export control violations by major US and international defense contractors and research institutions, and building and auditing trade compliance programs of numerous major multinational corporations and research institutions.
Tamara Hemingway
Tamara Hemingway has over 20 years of experience in export controls, facility security, and technology transfer at R1 universities. She holds a B.A. in English Literature from The Ohio State University, as well as both a B.S. and an M.S. in Biology from Eastern Michigan University. While earning her J.D. at Ohio State, where she focused on intellectual property law, Hemingway also worked as a research associate performing basic research in human cancer genetics. Hemingway is admitted to the New York State Bar. For the past year, she’s served as Director of Export Controls and Trade Compliance at Georgia Tech, where she combines her regulatory expertise with a collaborative, solution-driven approach. In her spare time, Hemingway enjoys trail running and spending time with animals of all kinds.
Robert Knotts
Robert Knotts is the Executive Director of Federal Relations at the Georgia Institute of Technology and is based in the Washington, DC area. A Georgia native, Robert has worked in Georgia Tech’s Office of Federal Relations since 2007. He is a former member of the Association of American Universities Council on Federal Relations Steering Committee and the former co-chair of the Council on Government Relations for the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. In 2020, he was awarded the Leadership Award by the AAU and in 2023 he was awarded the Outstanding Achievement in Research Enterprise Enhancement award by Georgia Tech. Prior to working for Georgia Tech, he worked for five years as a legislative staffer for a senior Member of Congress who served on the House Committee on Armed Services and the House Committee on Education and Labor. Knotts is a veteran of the U.S. Army where he served as an active-duty field artillery officer and deployed to Kosovo as part of Operation Joint Guardian. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Tanta Myles
Tanta Myles is a nationally recognized leader in research administration with over two decades of experience in compliance, strategic operations, and federal collaboration. She currently serves as Associate Vice President for Research – Research Integrity Assurance at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where she oversees a broad portfolio of compliance programs that support the university’s research enterprise.
Myles has cultivated strong national partnerships through her previous service on the Council on Governmental Relations (COGR) Research Compliance and Administration Committee, and through leadership roles within NCURA, including Region III Public Relations Coordinator (2016–2018), Peer Reviewer, and contributing editor for both compliance and senior administration topics in NCURA Magazine. She is the Immediate Past-Chair of NCURA Region III, having led the Annual Meeting as Chair or Co-Chair for three consecutive years. Currently, she serves as Senior Editor of NCURA Magazine. She is also actively involved with other professional organizations, including the Society of Research Administrators International (SRAI), Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research (PRIM&R), and the Association of Research Integrity Officers (ARIO).
A prolific contributor to the field, Myles has published extensively on research compliance and operational strategy and has facilitated more than 40 sessions at national conferences. Her work bridges policy and practice, empowering research professionals with the tools and insights needed to navigate an increasingly complex regulatory landscape.
Lauren Stewart
Lauren Stewart is the Willams Family Professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering. She received the National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship from the Army Research Office to support her Ph.D. in Structural Engineering at the University of California, San Diego. Stewart is Director of the Structural Engineering and Materials Laboratory, and her research employs innovative experimental strategies to investigate the behavior of structures subjected to extreme environments such as explosive and ballistic effects. Since joining the Georgia Tech faculty in 2013, her research on explosive and shock effects has impacted various national security programs for agencies including Missile Defense Agency, Air Force Research Laboratory, US Army ERDC, US Department of Agriculture, Office of Naval Research, and Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, among others.
William Robinson
William H. Robinson, is the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) Deputy Director for Research for the Information and Cyber Sciences Directorate (ICSD). As ICSD Director, Robinson leads the Information and Communications Laboratory (ICL) and the Cybersecurity, Information Protection, and Hardware Evaluation Research Laboratory (CIPHER), and manages research portfolios that span GTRI. Before joining GTRI, Robinson served as Professor of Electrical Engineering and the Vice Provost for Academic Advancement at Vanderbilt University. There, he led the Security and Fault Tolerance Research Group, whose mission is to design, model, verify, and implement robust computing systems that positively benefit stakeholders with consumer, defense, industrial, and medical applications. He also co-led the Explorations in Diversifying Engineering Faculty Initiative (EDEFI). That initiative investigates the institutional, technical, social, and cultural factors that affect decision-making, career choices, and career satisfaction for doctoral students, doctoral candidates, postdoctoral researchers, and faculty from engineering and computing who have been marginalized by race and/or gender.
Robinson has an expansive portfolio of research, publications, scholarly work, presentations, and awards. While at Vanderbilt University, he was involved in research for sponsors including the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), and the National Science Foundation (NSF). His research related to national security includes: (1) radiation-hardened electronics for satellite and missile systems, (2) hardware trust and assurance for integrated circuits and third-party intellectual property, (3) cyber security with intrusion detection systems, and (4) resilience for unmanned aerial systems and mobile ad hoc networks. In 2015 and in 2016, Robinson served as the General Chair for the IEEE International Symposium on Hardware-Oriented Security and Trust (HOST), which convenes a robust community of researchers from academia, government, and industry.
Robinson holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) as well as a M.S. in Electrical Engineering and Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Georgia Tech.
Karin Scarpinato
Karin Scarpinato is a dedicated leader in higher education, research, and innovation. As executive vice president for Research at Kennesaw State University (KSU), she oversees the university’s research programs, working to expand opportunities for faculty and students, attract funding, and foster collaborations that drive discovery and innovation.
With a passion for mentorship and leadership development, Scarpinato has spent her career helping researchers and institutions succeed. She founded "Women in Research," a national networking group that supports female leaders in research administration and helped establish the Florida Research Development Alliance (FloRDA) to strengthen partnerships between universities across the state.
Before coming to KSU, Scarpinato served as Senior Associate Vice President for Research at Florida Atlantic University (FAU), where she played a key role in successfully advancing the university’s research standing. She has also held leadership positions at the University of Miami, Georgia Southern University, and Wake Forest University, always focusing on creating opportunities for faculty, students, and communities to engage in meaningful research that makes a difference.
A scientist by training, Scarpinato’s background is in molecular genetics and cancer research, where she studied how DNA repairs itself and how this knowledge could improve cancer treatments. Today, she applies her expertise to helping universities grow their research impact, using data-driven approaches to improve efficiency and effectiveness.
Scarpinato is also an entrepreneur, co-founding two start-up companies focused on teamwork, communication, and research project management. She is a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, bringing business-minded strategies to improve research operations.
Above all, Scarpinato is passionate about bringing people together to solve big challenges. She believes that research and education should not only advance knowledge but also serve the greater good—whether through medical discoveries, environmental sustainability, or fostering the next generation of innovators.
