Dr. Dawn Tatum is the Director of Career Services at the University of West Georgia.  With over 20 years of experience in the technology industry and 20 plus years of experience in higher education, Dr. Tatum has knowledge and practical experience in technology, teaching and assisting students in launching their careers.  She also has experience in creating strong partnerships between the community and universities to establish talent pipelines and in creating innovative programs which are mutually beneficial.  A few examples of the innovative programs are the creation and execution of Hackathons at a major university, a Teaching Fellows Program within a college, Summer STEM Immersion Youth Camps and the processes and position which allow for the tracking of internships for credit within a college. She is also very skilled at negotiating contracts and working with legal to ensure expectations are understood by all stakeholders.    

Dr. Tatum also has a strong research interest in the area of cybersecurity and continues to explore new teaching mechanisms that will allow students the ability for practical hands on experience in online learning environments.  Her professional experience in the technology industry informs much of her activities in research. Her professional technology experience includes managing her own consulting company, working for Fortune 50 companies in NYC and metro Atlanta.  She has a diversified technical skill set but focuses in the areas of security, with a main interest in Social Engineering.

Her passion is creating avenues to connect students and industry leaders to stir innovation and create the next generation of leaders and visionaries.