New York’s higher education sector represents one of the most complex cybersecurity environments in the world. Universities and colleges operate decentralized systems supporting academic research, healthcare, financial operations, and international collaboration. The cybersecurity leaders below are responsible for protecting sensitive intellectual property, personal data, and institutional infrastructure while enabling open academic environments and global educational operations.
Dana Kilcrease — Chief Information Security Officer, Berkeley College
Dana Kilcrease leads cybersecurity for Berkeley College and its affiliated nonprofit, international academic, and real estate entities. He specializes in building and maturing security programs in complex, multi-entity environments, translating regulatory and threat landscapes into practical strategy. His work spans compliance, vendor oversight, artificial intelligence governance, and executive communication, ensuring security initiatives align with institutional priorities and operational realities.
Read Dana Kilcrease’s cybersecurity perspective in his CISO Diaries entry.
Robert Berlinger — Chief Information Security Officer, City University of New York
Robert Berlinger has served as Chief Information Security Officer at the City University of New York since 2013, overseeing cybersecurity across one of the largest public university systems in the United States. His expertise spans secure network architecture, incident response, disaster recovery, and identity systems. With decades of experience in academic technology environments, he focuses on protecting large-scale, heterogeneous university infrastructure.
Don Horton — Chief Information Security Officer, Jefferson Community College
Don Horton brings over 30 years of information systems and cybersecurity leadership to his role at Jefferson Community College. His expertise includes security program development, project management, and organizational change management. With extensive experience as both a cybersecurity executive and adjunct instructor, he combines technical leadership with education-focused security strategy in academic environments.
Joe Grupp — Chief Information Security Officer, University at Buffalo
Joe Grupp serves as Chief Information Security Officer at the University at Buffalo, where he leads enterprise cybersecurity strategy and infrastructure protection. His background includes systems architecture, governance, and enterprise application security. Prior roles supporting health systems and academic platforms provide him with deep expertise in protecting critical university systems while enabling large-scale operational and academic functions.
Jesse Sloman — Chief Information Security Officer, The State University of New York
Jesse Sloman leads cybersecurity for the State University of New York system, bringing experience from federal defense, national cyber policy, and state government leadership roles. His background includes serving as Deputy Chief Cyber Officer for Operations for New York State and advising on cybersecurity policy at the Department of Defense. He focuses on strengthening resilience across large public education systems.
Robert Edamala — Chief Information Security Officer, Cornell University
Robert Edamala oversees cybersecurity strategy at Cornell University, drawing on prior experience as Chief Information Security Officer at the University of Texas at Arlington and senior leadership roles at Temple University. His expertise includes privacy protection, risk management, and enterprise security governance. He has led cybersecurity programs across major research universities with complex academic and administrative environments.
Christopher Croad — Chief Information Security Officer, Syracuse University
Christopher Croad leads cybersecurity at Syracuse University, where he previously served in multiple security and infrastructure leadership roles. His background includes enterprise security architecture, incident response, and academic security operations. With earlier experience supporting defense research environments, he brings deep technical and operational expertise to protecting university infrastructure and research systems.
Jim Bole — Chief Information Security Officer, University at Albany, SUNY
Jim Bole directs cybersecurity at the University at Albany, overseeing identity and access management, incident response, governance, and security awareness. His leadership focuses on strengthening institutional resilience through policy development, risk management, and user education. He brings broad experience in security operations and organizational cybersecurity leadership within higher education environments.
Medha Bhalodkar — Chief Information Security Officer and Enterprise IT Risk Officer, Columbia University
Medha Bhalodkar serves as Chief Information Security Officer and Enterprise IT Risk Officer at Columbia University, where she leads cybersecurity, identity management, and enterprise risk governance across global academic operations. Previously working in financial services security and audit roles, she brings deep expertise in regulatory compliance and risk management. Her leadership has earned global recognition across the cybersecurity industry.
Securing the Future of Academic Institutions in New York
Cybersecurity leadership in New York’s higher education sector plays a critical role in protecting research, student data, and institutional infrastructure while enabling open academic collaboration. These leaders ensure universities can operate securely while supporting innovation, global partnerships, and digital transformation across education.
As universities expand their digital infrastructure and physical campuses, cybersecurity leadership increasingly intersects with property, facilities, and asset protection—explore how these challenges evolve in Cybersecurity Leaders to Watch in the State of New York’s Real Estate Industry.