Meet the TechEX26 Internet2 Emerging Leaders Scholarship Recipients

Catherine Aguirre is a technical developer at New York University (NYU) who found her passion for research technology after more than 15 years as a healthcare administrator. Inspired by how technology can improve health outcomes, she focuses on making complex systems easier for researchers to navigate. In her recent work, she has expanded support services across her institutional community, working directly with users to understand their challenges and translating those needs into intuitive, self-service tools.

Catherine holds a master’s degree in healthcare administration and completed the NYU Management Fellows leadership development program, experiences that strengthened her ability to lead with empathy, strategic thinking, and clear communication.

Catherine looks forward to attending TechEX26 to exchange ideas on user-centered technology, learn from peers across the research community, and continue growing as a leader.

Kanin Bender is a research software developer at Indiana University, supporting researchers and research computing services across the university’s high-performance computing environment. With a background in data science and research computing, Kanin is interested in making advanced computing resources more accessible and approachable. He works directly with researchers to troubleshoot and improve computational workflows.

Kanin is increasingly focused on reducing the complexity that can make research computing intimidating for newcomers. He teaches onboarding workshops for Indiana University’s high-performance computing systems and holds service office hours to help researchers build the understanding they need to troubleshoot problems and use available resources more effectively.

He believes that while the initial step into research computing can be challenging, the benefits it provides can be transformative for research. His goal is to make that transition easier by improving training, explaining core computing concepts, and helping researchers spend less time navigating technical barriers and more time advancing their work. He is beginning a second master’s degree in business analytics and hopes to pursue leadership roles focused on training, education, and outreach while continuing to support researchers and expand access to research computing.

Sai Manoj Vishal is a research network engineer at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), where he contributes to the development, modernization, and operation of network infrastructure supporting the university’s research community. His work focuses on providing reliable, high-performance connectivity for researchers and research computing environments, including support for Internet2 connectivity and routing within UIC’s research network.

At UIC, Sai is contributing to major network projects, including the transition to a next-generation network fabric and the modernization of network security infrastructure. He also works closely with research teams to support high-bandwidth connectivity and enable seamless access between on-campus resources and cloud environments such as Microsoft Azure. Through his work, Sai helps build a more capable, flexible research network that enables researchers at UIC to connect, collaborate, and advance scientific discovery.

Timothy Huber is a research computing facilitator at the OU Supercomputing Center for Education & Research (OSCER). He helps researchers, faculty, and students make effective use of available computing resources. He particularly enjoys building relationships with faculty and learning about the science behind their work. He is also a member of an AI consulting team that helps researchers integrate AI into their research workflows.

Before joining OSCER, Timothy spent seven years as a computational chemist. While earning his Ph.D., Timothy studied the energetics of polymerization reactions. During his postdoctoral work, he developed a virtual screening pipeline to identify potential drug candidates for a parasitic disease, working closely with experimentalists to show how computational tools provide new insights and streamline their work.

Christopher Larsen is a network administrator at the University of Wyoming, supporting the university’s campus network, research infrastructure, and high-performance computing environments. He was born and raised near Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, where an early interest in technology led him to a career in IT and networking.

In his current role, Christopher works across switching, routing, wireless, data center networking, and specialized research infrastructure. His recent work has included supporting high-speed networking for AI and research computing systems, modernizing campus networks, and building the infrastructure that connects researchers and university services.

Christopher is especially interested in advanced network design, research cyberinfrastructure, high-speed networking, and data center architecture. He hopes to continue developing his expertise in designing large-scale networks and infrastructure that enable research and emerging technologies.

Emily Nic is a project manager at Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center (PSC). There, she works primarily with technical specialists in high-performance networking, systems administration, and data-processing pipelines. She has an extensive background in construction project management and a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Portland. Her out-of-the-office work as a fitness trainer influences her style as a coach and collaborator. She believes asking questions, especially the right ones, is one of the best ways to problem-solve and ensure the problems we approach are worth our time.

Brianna Savage is a security specialist at the Northwest Regional Data Center with 13 years of information technology experience. She is a Florida State University alumna and focuses on endpoint protection and cybersecurity awareness training. She holds industry-recognized certifications, including ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity (ISC2 CC), Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS), CompTIA Security+, and Information Technology Infrastructure Library – Level 4 (ITIL 4).

She began her career in a small, family-run PC and phone repair shop, where she developed a strong technical foundation and a customer-first mindset rooted in Southern hospitality. She advanced quickly through Florida’s public sector, moving from help desk support to desktop systems administration and, ultimately, cybersecurity. Her commitment to learning and service still shapes her work today.

Savannah Van Buren is a security specialist at Merit Network, a nonprofit organization that serves as Michigan’s Research and Education Network (REN). At Merit, her role blends the work of a network analyst, cybersecurity analyst, and support specialist to meet the ever-changing needs of the research and education members she supports.

Savannah transitioned into cybersecurity after a career in education. She holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Georgia and a CompTIA Security+ certification.