Blog Author Bios

Brenton is a data scientist in Novetta’s Tampa Solutions Team working with the ML-COE. He completed his Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Master’s degree in Data Science at New College of Florida. His interests include applications of machine learning to recommendation, optimization, and reasoning. In his free time he enjoys researching interactions between AI, cognitive science, and theory of computation.

Emily Bentz, one of Novetta's Proposal Coordinators, is a recent graduate of Wesley College with a dual English and Music degree. She is a self-published author, and an avid cyclist and kayaker.

Jack is a Data Scientist in Novetta's Special Projects group. In the summer of 2019, he was a Machine Learning and Special Projects Intern with Novetta’s Machine Learning Center of Excellence, where he contributed to various projects that apply machine learning solutions to new domains. Jacked received a BSE and an MSE in Computer Science at the University of Pennsylvania with minors in Math and Economics. His interests include machine learning, game theory, and data science. He enjoys soccer, chess, and poker in his free time.

Jamiel is a student at California State University, Monterey Bay pursuing a degree in Computer Science with a concentration in Data Science. He was a Machine Learning Intern for Novetta during the summer of 2021 and worked on Natural Language Processing projects for the Special Projects Division. Jamiel enjoys exploring, playing video games, and learning languages in his free time.

Amber Chin is a student at the University of Texas at San Antonio where she is pursuing degrees in both Psychology and English. At Novetta, she worked as a Machine Learning and Special Projects Intern with the Machine Learning Center of Excellence in the summer of 2020, focusing on projects that involve Natural Language Processing. In her free time, she enjoys running, baking, and hanging out with her dogs.

Jacob Coakwell is an Open Source Analyst in the Novetta Mission Analytics Division focused on Ukraine, Poland, and Russia. Jacob lived abroad for much of his life, including two years in Ukraine. He loves learning foreign languages, as evidenced by the seven that he has studied. Jacob serves on his town's planning commission in Vermont and, in his spare time, enjoys the great outdoors with his wife and two daughters.

Emma interned at Novetta during the summer of 2019 with the Novetta Entity Analytics team to produce queryable graph visuals, then transitioned into machine learning and data science as a Software Developer. Emma graduated from the University of Virginia in 2020 with degrees in Computer Science and Commerce. She enjoys video gaming, playing piano, taking walks, and drawing in her free time.

Patrick Doran is a Technical Director in the Mission Solutions Entity Analytics Division and has been developing applications for the Federal Government for over a decade. His passion for enabling mission users and technology has enabled him to architect big data and cloud systems that solve real-world problems. His interests include solving challenging system scaling problems and implementing SecDevOps.

Jonas is the Director of Operations for Novetta's Open Source Analytics division, and has spent the past twelve years providing analysis and guidance to customers in the areas of national security, human rights, corporate communications, and international development. He is an unreformed news junkie, a musician, and a member of his local school board in the rural Vermont town where he lives with his wife and two young children.

Dr. Kelly Faddis, a Senior Director at Novetta, leads a diverse set of engineering, development, and analytical teams in delivering technical solutions to customers within the Defense Intelligence Enterprise. Kelly previously served at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), managing the Identity Intelligence Research & Development program, where she was an established subject matter expert in identity and biometrics in the Intelligence Community.

Isaac Flath is an Applied Machine Learning Researcher in Novetta’s Machine Learning Center of Excellence. He uses a strong understanding of business processes in combination with a technical ability in machine learning and data science to develop innovative solutions to today's challenges. His interests include machine learning, programming, tennis, and tai chi.

Mady is a Machine Learning Engineer in Novetta’s Machine Learning Center of Excellence, where she was an intern in the summer of 2020. She holds Bachelor’s degrees in Neuroscience and Cognitive science from UC San Diego and a Master’s degree in Computer science from George Mason University. She is interested in the intersection of human and computer intelligence and utilizes her knowledge in both areas to develop innovative solutions for customers. In her free time, Mady enjoys hiking, electronic music, and trying new food.

Annie was a Machine Learning and Special Projects Intern at Novetta’s Machine Learning Center of Excellence for the summer of 2020. She is currently a senior at the University of Pennsylvania pursuing a degree in computer science and systems engineering with interests in NLP and data science, and research in applied network science. In her free time, she enjoys cooking and playing Civilization VI and Paladins.

Dr. Lou Glassy often goes hunting for black cats in dark rooms while wearing a blindfold; that is to say, he solves real-world problems for clients even when the solution seems obscure and the problem seems small. His unique blend of operational and scientific experience means that he can look at a problem from many angles and create novel, high-performance solutions to extreme problems. With a broad knowledge of the computer science field, he often bridges the communication gap between technologists and business units. He is a storyteller and gardener.

Xena Grant is pursuing a Master’s degree in Computational Linguistics at the University of Washington. She received her undergraduate degree in Applied Language and Intercultural Studies with a Computer Science concentration at Georgia Institute of Technology. She was a Machine Learning and Special Projects Intern at Novetta’s Machine Learning Center of Excellence during the summer 2020, focusing on Natural Language Processing. In her spare time she fosters cats and plays video games.

Dr. Beach Gray, a Senior Open Source Media Analyst at Novetta, co-leads a reach back team that assesses Russian influence in European media for a U.S. government customer. Beach earned a Ph.D. in Russian Culture, Film, Language, and Literature in 2016 from the University of Pittsburgh. In his free time, Beach serves on the board of Outer Banks Conservationists, a non-profit organization that maintains Currituck Beach Lighthouse in Corolla, NC. He also enjoys skateboarding and surfing.

Kevin is currently the Senior Vice President of Information Exploitation at Novetta focusing on data analytics, AI/ML, cloud enablement, sensor fusion, and DevSecOps solutions. He has applied his passion for leading people to solve the most complex challenges facing a diverse set of customers including DoD, IC, and Law Enforcement. By inspiring an entrepreneurial spirit and empowering his teams, Kevin cultivates leaders to rapidly grow organizations while exceeding the strategic vision of mission partners.

John is a Senior Data Scientist with Novetta. He has a B.S. in Computer Science and a M.S. in Operations Research, which he likes to say, “was data science before we called it data science”. After starting his career as a developer, John spent twenty years as a technical lead and manager. Several years ago, he dove back into the deep end of data science with a focus on creatively addressing geospatial challenges through data mining and machine learning, which allows him to combine his love of mathematics and data science.

Kathryn is an intern for the Machine Learning Center of Excellence, where she is working with natural language processing. She is pursuing her Master’s in Information Systems and Operations Management with a focus in Data Science at the University of Florida. Her Bachelor’s degree is also from the University of Florida in Information Systems with a minor in Economics. Outside of work and school, Kathryn enjoys traveling and cooking.

Jiong Huang is a Computer Vision Engineer in the Computer Vision and Image Processing team at Novetta's New York office. Jiong is a Biomedical Engineering graduate from New York University who was originally interested in the Medical Imaging field. His interest took a turn when he was exposed to the technical side of image processing and computer vision. Jiong is currently looking into deep learning based image processing.

Michelle Jou is a Senior Engineer and Computer Vision Lead at Novetta. She has experience in algorithmic development and designing evaluation methodologies for complex systems. She leads various technical projects and research initiatives, exploring the applicability of state-of-the-art research for customer missions. Michelle holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University.

Christian F. Jung is an undergraduate student studying computer science at the University of Virginia, interested in the intersection of data and people. He was an intern during the summer of 2020 with the Novetta Machine Learning Center of Excellence, where his work primarily focused on developing new methods for text interpretability. Outside of his work at Novetta, Christian teaches an introductory data science class at HackCville, a Charlottesville non-profit. He also volunteers with the U.S. Air Force through the X-Force program and is the technical producer for the Global Inquirer podcast.

Matthew is a Machine Learning Engineer in Novetta's Information Exploitation division. His research interests are broadly in Machine Learning and leveraging data to solve complex problems. During the summer of 2019, he was an intern in Novetta's Machine Learning Center of Excellence where he worked on projects with a focus on computer vision. As a student at the University of Pennsylvania, Matthew was a member of the organizing board for PennApps, the nation's first collegiate Hackathon.

Scott Krom, Field Service Engineer at Novetta, dedicated 20 years of service to the U.S. Air Force, where he served the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) Operations Director as an engineer, designing and architecting the J3’s Common Operating Picture. Krom joined Novetta through the DoD SkillBridge program.

Dan is an Arabic Open Source Analyst at Novetta, and primarily works to inform DoD and DoS clients about the propaganda of Iran, ISIS, and their respective affiliates in the Near East. Dan earned a master's degree in Arab Studies from Georgetown University, and previously worked to facilitate non-lethal aid shipments to moderate units of the Free Syrian Army. In his free time, Dan works on his family's Black Angus beef cattle farm in southern Virginia.

Carlos started his career with Novetta as an intern for the Machine Learning Center of Excellence during the summer of 2020, and is now a Machine Learning Engineer. He completed his Bachelor's degree at The Ohio State University with concentrations in Computational Linguistics, Hispanic linguistics, and speech communication disorders and his Master's degree in Computational Linguistics at Montclair State University. His research is in Natural Language Processing, disinformation detection, and low resource languages. In his free time he enjoys rock climbing, playing soccer, and building Voice Apps.

Rebeka Melber is a Senior Manager at Novetta and DoD FENCES Mission Operations Lead. In her current role, Rebeka leads a team of cloud architects and consultants responsible for the onboarding of DoD mission systems to the commercial cloud. Previously, she led network connections of sensitive DoD component enterprise systems to the DoD enterprise services fabric for DISA, enabling collaboration and information sharing across the Department. As a subject matter expert in DoD Enterprise and Mission IT systems, Rebeka specializes in Customer Onboarding to both Enterprise and Mission Systems across the Department, migrating mission systems into the cloud environment. Rebeka holds a B.A. in International Studies, an M.S. in Applied Intelligence, and multiple commercial cloud certifications.

Zach is an undergraduate in Software Design and Development at the University of West Florida and was a Machine Learning Center of Excellence intern for the summer of 2020. He has been studying Machine Learning through the fastai courses over the last two years, and teaches his own courses as well. He has an interest in Computer Vision and Environmental Science, and hopes to bridge the two together along the way.

Rhys O’Neill is an Open Source Analyst in the Novetta Mission Analytics Division and has been supporting DoD and HHS missions for six years. Rhys joined the Novetta team in 2015 and has been supporting the NIH’s clinical trials for Ebola in Africa by providing key insight in challenging environments to drive operational success. He has served in the USMC and US Army and recently attended the 2019 Harvard GIS Institute program.

Jackson is a student at Yale University studying mathematics and linguistics. He worked at Novetta during the summer of 2021 as a Machine Learning Intern with the MLCOE, developing multimodal classifiers. Outside of school, he enjoys biking, playing guitar, and designing typefaces.

Elliott is an undergraduate student studying computer science and mathematics at Montana State University. He is an intern for Novetta’s Machine Learning Center of Excellence focusing on Natural Language Processing and Data Poisoning. Beyond his work at Novetta, he is a researcher studying evolutionary algorithms, and one day hopes to work in medical AI. Outside of work, Elliott enjoys rock climbing, hiking, and reading fantasy novels.

Shreya Ramesh is a student in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. She was an intern with the Novetta Machine Learning Center of Excellence in Summer 2021 where she worked on self-supervised training methods. Some of her hobbies are hiking and playing tennis in her spare time.

Alan Reiner is a Senior Machine Learning Engineer with Novetta’s MLCOE. He has a Master’s Degree in Statistics from Johns Hopkins University, and has a storied career of technical problem solving, including computer vision for missile defense, cryptographic security software for Bitcoin, and ML-driven cybersecurity for defending Fortune 500 networks. In his free time, he enjoys researching AI, video games, and tinkering with electronics and 3D printing to make goofy things for his wife and two kids.

Kirsten is the Senior Director of Talent Acquisition and has over 20 years of technical recruiting experience. After a short while working as a software developer then help desk manager, while studying Human Resources Management at University of Maryland University College, she combined her love for technology and HR by becoming a Technical Recruiter at a start up ecommerce firm in 1999. She then moved to recruiting in Telecom and has been primarily supporting the Information Security field, mostly for the Intelligence Community, since 2008 before joining Novetta in Sept 2016.

Dr. Shauna Revay leads Novetta’s Machine Learning Center of Excellence. She utilizes and applies state of the art machine learning algorithms and cloud technologies to build innovative solutions that address customers' needs. Shauna holds an AWS developer certification and earned her Ph.D. in mathematics from George Mason University in 2018. In her spare time she plays tennis and loves to be outside with her two toddlers.

Jefferson Ridgeway is an Applied Machine Learning Researcher in Novetta's Information Exploitation division. Jefferson is a graduate from Elizabeth City State University, who has a focus in combining state of the art Machine Learning (ML) techniques and algorithms with rapid prototyping to deliver customer centric solutions. He has a current interest in natural language processing techniques and their applications in the ML space. In his free time, he enjoys movies, exploring open source software/projects, exercising, and writing/teaching about ML at his blog.

Brian Sacash is a Lead Machine Learning Engineer in Novetta's Machine Learning Center of Excellence. He helps various organizations discover the best ways to extract value from data through operational prototypes. His interests are in the areas of Natural Language Processing, Audio Analysis, Deep Learning, and Cloud Applications.

Vikas is a Computer Science Graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania and was an intern for the Machine Learning Center of Excellence during the summer of 2020. He completed his Bachelor's degree in Computer Science in Bangalore, India and is pursuing his master's degree with research in Natural Language Processing and interests in distributed computing and deep learning. His favorite hobbies are photography and playing Counter Strike: Global Offensive.

Izzy Shehan is a student at the University of Virginia where she is pursuing a degree in Computer Science with minors in Data Science and French. At Novetta, she worked as a Machine Learning Intern with the Machine Learning Center of Excellence in the summer of 2021 with a focus on Natural Language Processing projects. Izzy is an active member of UVA’s ski team, and enjoys tennis and NYT crosswords in her free time.

Elliot Stewart is a project manager and senior analyst for Novetta Mission Analytics, where he supports defense, legal, and public health actors. His recent work has focused on developing new ways to apply machine learning to open source problem sets and advancing Novetta's analytic capabilities related to the social-traditional media nexus. Elliot also serves national security clients as an Arabic-language analyst and subject matter expert on militant organizations in the Middle East.

Clyde Sumagang is a student at California State University, Monterey Bay where he is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science with a concentration in Data Science. He was a Machine Learning Intern at Novetta during the summer of 2021, where he worked on synthetic image generation for the Special Projects Division of the Machine Learning Center of Excellence. Besides his work at Novetta, Clyde works as a teaching assistant for the algorithms course at his university as well as a research assistant studying the impact analogies have on the learning of a diverse student body in Computer Science Education. During his free time, he enjoys playing video games, fishing, bouldering, and painting.

Joseph Terrigno, now a Novetta Data Scientist, was a Machine Learning and Special Projects intern in the Machine Learning Center of Excellence during the summer of 2019. He earned his degree in Applied Mathematics at Columbia University. He completed a 3-2 engineering program with Fordham University, where he received a Computer Science degree. In his spare time, Joseph loves playing video games, especially Rainbow Six Siege.

Matt Teschke is Novetta's Director, Special Projects, where he works closely with the CTO to drive innovation and increase collaboration across the company, with a focus on machine learning, cloud, DevSecOps, and cybersecurity. Matt works closely with our partners, such as AWS, NVIDIA, and Microsoft, to develop and deliver solutions that support our customers' missions. In a previous role, Matt led Novetta’s Machine Learning (ML) Center of Excellence, where he directed ML research in NLP (Natural Language Processing), object detection, face recognition, entity resolution, and supervised learning.

As a solutions architect in the corporate Business Development division, Brian Uri provides word wizardry and subject matter expertise on proposals and whitepapers. Brian started at Novetta's legacy company (FGM) as a software engineering intern in 2000 and has worked in all sorts of roles since then, with emphasis on service-oriented architectures, government data standards, open-source software, and cloud architecture. He has earned 7 AWS certifications as well as a super relevant Masters degree in music.

Peter is the Director of Cyber Defense programs within the Cyber Defense and Enablement division of Novetta. His team supports customers that require cyber threat analysis, threat hunting, incident response, malware analysis and reverse engineering, digital forensics, and cyber security assessments. Peter holds GIAC certifications for incident handling (GCIH), penetration testing (GPEN), and Windows forensics (GCFE).

Stephen Verbeke is a Computer Network Analyst within the Cyber Defense and Enablement division of Novetta. Stephen spent 10 years with the United States Marine Corps as a cyber analyst and network administrator before joining Novetta, spending the last 5 years in network defense and incident response working both offensive and defensive missions. Stephen holds certifications in Security+ (Sec+), Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), and Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP). Stephen enjoys escape rooms and astrophotography in his spare time.

Andrea Zivalich manages all aspects of event strategy, planning, and execution as Director, Marketing at Novetta. She has over 20 years of experience in marketing for fast-paced, high tech companies. Her skillset includes increasing brand awareness, generating demand for complex product/services, and improving operational efficiencies. Based out of the suburbs of Chicago, she has a passion for problem-solving and is often categorized as an eternal optimist.