Pitt Cyber announced today that Mary Ellen Callahan is appointed an affiliate practice scholar of Pitt Cyber. Pitt Cyber's honorary affiliate practice scholars serve the institute from across disciplines and industries to collaborate and be a source of practical experience and expertise for research and experiential learning for faculty and students.
Callahan is a cybersecurity and privacy expert who served as the Assistant Secretary for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) Office from August 2023 to January 2025. She was previously the chief of staff to DHS Deputy Secretary John Tien in the Office of the Deputy Secretary at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security from 2021-2023, and served as Chief Privacy Officer of the Department of Homeland Security from 2009-2012.
Callahan is a Bachelor of Philosophy graduate from the University of Pittsburgh Honors College and College of Arts and Sciences. She served from 2009-2022 as a Trustee on the Pitt Board of Trustees, including as Vice Chair from 2020-2021, and (Acting) Chair from 2021-2022. She is also a graduate of the University of Chicago Law School.