Meet the CommEX26 Internet2 Emerging Leaders Scholarship Recipients

Kelvin Echenim is a graduate teaching assistant and PhD candidate in Information Systems at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Before academia, he spent over a decade in the telecommunications industry in Nigeria as a field service engineer, manager, and data analyst at Globacom. There, he was responsible for the commissioning, maintenance, and performance management of large-scale network infrastructure across dozens of sites.

Kelvin holds the ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity and Cisco Certified Network Professional certifications. His professional interests include networking, IT security, data privacy, and compliance. As a doctoral student, he has authored four first-author publications and completed industry internships with Deloitte and Amazon Web Services. Outside of his academic and professional pursuits, he enjoys outdoor running and cooking.

Kristen Finch is the director of research computing solutions at the University of Washington Information Technology, where she leads a team that helps researchers access and use advanced computing resources across campus. In less than two years with the University of Washington, she advanced from an individual contributor to a leadership role supporting services that connect researchers with high-performance computing systems such as Hyak Klone and the Tillicum GPU cluster, institutional research storage platforms, and commercial cloud resources. 

Kristen transitioned into research computing after a career in conservation genetics and bioinformatics. Her experience as a researcher continues to shape her approach, with a focus on making complex infrastructure more accessible and aligning technical services with real scientific workflows.

She has extensive experience teaching and developing hands-on training that helps researchers across disciplines learn how to use advanced computing tools effectively. Kristen is also involved in the programmatic and service aspects of research computing, working to ensure that shared campus resources are sustainable, well supported, and accessible to a broad research community. Outside of work, she enjoys solving escape rooms, attending stand-up comedy shows, and visiting botanical gardens and aquariums.

Jacklyn Fournier is a telecommunications technician supervisor at the University of Florida and directs a team that installs phones, upgrades softphone systems, and oversees campus emergency notification devices, including classroom speakers and blue-light emergency phones. Jackie partners with communications engineers and networking teams to streamline softphone deployment and enhance campus phone support, delivering service excellence and maximizing impact.

Jackie launched her career supervising field crews at an underground utility company. She then transitioned into animal care and breeding, eventually becoming a lead husbandry technician at a biosafety level 3 research facility, where she remained for a decade. Five years ago, Jackie returned to IT by joining the University of Florida Data Center as an entry-level infrastructure technician. After earning her Cisco Certified Network Associate certification in under a year and streamlining inventory operations, she advanced to a supervisor role.

Zach Fuchik is a senior data center network engineer responsible for the design, delivery, and lifecycle management of highly available, scalable, and secure data center network infrastructure for the Office of Technology and Digital Innovation at The Ohio State University. He evaluates emerging technologies, provides senior-level technical leadership, and ensures strong governance through clear documentation, reporting, and enhanced monitoring strategies that support informed management decisions.

A Columbus, Ohio native, he studied Communication Technology Management at The Ohio State University, gaining experience on the ASC Tech Help Desk as a student network technician. After graduating, Zach worked as a network and security administrator before joining the university’s Enterprise Networking team, where he contributed to a major vendor transition, the design and deployment of 802.1x authentication, and university-wide network operations. 

Since 2022, he has been with the Data Center Networking team, focusing on process standardization, network audits, lifecycle management, operational efficiency, and total cost ownership (TCO) modeling, while also leading multiple customer-facing network modernization projects. In June 2024, Zach completed the 2-Day IT Business Strategy Jumpstart program at the Fisher College of Business. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family, playing video games, and tinkering in his home lab.

Tristan Gaspas is a project manager at the Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California (CENIC), where she manages relationships and initiatives supporting all R1 and R2 universities across California. She holds both the Project Management Professional and Cisco Certified Network Associate certifications and is committed to CENIC’s mission of advancing research and education (R&E) through impactful network solutions and services. 

Over the past three years, Tristan has contributed to several complex and critical network infrastructure projects for CENIC’s members, including the deployment of next-generation optical line systems, 400 Gbps connections, and a multi-hospital lit circuit ring. She also serves as the project manager for Pacific Wave, a distributed R&E-focused open internet exchange that provides high-performance connectivity across the Pacific Ocean. 

Her professional development goals include expanding her expertise in networking and infrastructure and collaborating on wide-scale network initiatives. Tristan is excited for the opportunity to participate in CommEX26 and looks forward to forging connections with fellow scholarship recipients and community leaders in attendance.

Taylor Graham is an associate research solutions hardware engineer at the Rosen Center for Advanced Computing at Purdue University. She entered the high-performance computing (HPC) field through a non-traditional path after beginning her career in healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since joining Purdue, Taylor has embraced the challenge of entering a new field and continues to expand her technical expertise while supporting the systems that enable cutting-edge scientific discovery.

She is actively building skills in Linux, Bash, and system administration to deepen her impact across the HPC stack. Taylor is also an active volunteer in the HPC community through Women in HPC, Practice and Experience in Advanced Research Computing (PEARC), and SCinet initiatives. Through these efforts, Taylor is passionate about fostering community, increasing representation, and supporting pathways for others entering HPC from non-traditional backgrounds.

Mia Langworthy began her career in information technology in 2012 after moving from Minnesota to Wyoming. She started as a student worker in IT at the Telecom Help Desk at the University of Wyoming, and the role quickly grew into a full-time opportunity. Recently promoted to manager of Network and Telecom, Mia now leads teams responsible for maintaining, advancing, and planning the University of Wyoming’s campus network and telecommunications systems. Currently, Mia and her teams are finalizing the transition from Cisco/Analog phones to Teams Phone Services across campus.

Mia is also working toward her CompTIA Network+ and Certified Associate in Project Management certifications to complement her degree in Information Technology with a focus on Network Administration. Outside of work, she enjoys several hobbies outdoors, especially hiking and reading in a hammock among the trees.

David Lockett is a community-focused data science professional and educator who serves as a PhD data science student, co-principal investigator, and grants proposal development and awards management specialist at the Meharry Medical College School of Applied Computational Sciences. In this role, he co-leads several data science initiatives, including the SACS NASA Data Science Academy, which integrates robotics with NASA geospatial and extraterrestrial big data to engage learners in real-world analytics and GIS-driven discovery.

A former K–12 STEM and computer science teacher and Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship recipient at the NASA Office of STEM Engagement, his portfolio includes collaborative NASA  outreach, ACCESS/HPC and cyberinfrastructure engagement, and participation in the 3C and TTAC Innovation Fellowship. David has also contributed extensively to the NSF Artificial Intelligence Virtual Organization, strengthening cross-institute AI connections, best practice sharing, and research showcases across AI domains such as food security, public safety, education, and weather. He is a frequent speaker and panelist on national AI, computer science, and data science forums, and he has authored columns and articles highlighting the intersection of AI policy, education, and workforce development.

Katie Lungren is an IT professional and systems administrator at Colorado State University (CSU) with more than a decade of experience supporting enterprise technology environments in higher education. Since joining CSU in 2011, she has progressed through several technical and leadership roles, including computer lab operator, help desk technician, IT coordinator, IT manager for Client Services, and now system administrator and data backup administrator. Her work focuses on infrastructure reliability, data protection, and operational support for institutional systems.

Katie holds a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from CSU and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Computer Information Systems. She also holds certifications in Production Art and Graphic Design, bringing a multidisciplinary perspective to technical problem-solving and communication.

Outside of her professional work, Katie is an active community volunteer with the American Red Cross and the city of Fort Collins Volunteer Response Team, supporting disaster preparedness and emergency response initiatives.

Ashley Stauffer is an associate director of solution alignment in the Office of Research Information Systems at Penn State. In this role, she leads product and project management initiatives supporting technology and data capabilities across the university’s research enterprise. Her work focuses on aligning technology solutions with research operations and championing user-centered system design to reduce administrative burden for thousands of researchers and research support professionals. 

Ashley’s interdisciplinary background spans counseling, research, and technology, shaping her collaborative approach to stakeholder engagement and organizational problem solving. She founded Penn State’s Research Professionals Network, a community of practice connecting more than 300 staff members across research and IT. Ashley also co-chairs the Campus Research Computing Consortium’s (CaRCC) Research Computing and Data (RCD) Professionalization Working Group and studies the evolving RCD workforce to inform professional development and workforce strategies across the research ecosystem.