{"692622":{"#nid":"692622","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Nancy Baker: the One Stop Shop for Cybersecurity Student Success","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe start of the semester is \u003Cstrong\u003ENancy Baker\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0027s Super Bowl.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom planning and executing orientation to answering students\u0027 questions about their schedules, Baker does it all. As the sole academic program manager for the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scp.cc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u003C\/a\u003E (SCP), she is the go-to person for 140 MS and PhD students.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe beginning of the semester can be a bit crazy,\u201d said Baker. \u201cEvery inquiry about registration comes through me.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeyond registration and scheduling questions, Baker organizes orientation and welcome events each semester for new students. During those events, she connects students with valuable campus resources that can support them throughout their time at Georgia Tech, including mental health services, campus food bank \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/star.studentlife.gatech.edu\/klemis-kitchen\u0022\u003EKlemis Kitchen\u003C\/a\u003E, and other programs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBaker joined SCP in February 2022 and is now in her fourth year with the school. When she arrived, SCP was still new and did not yet have someone dedicated to supporting students. For her first six months, she shared those responsibilities with a colleague from another school. By the summer, she had found her rhythm and was preparing for her first fall semester at SCP.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI could sense the urgency when I started to get in here and help the department in any way I could,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s nice to know I was able to come in and help the department get to a better place.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHer first orientation was a success, but Baker says her connection with students has grown stronger over time. Today, she takes pride in being one of their first points of contact when they arrive at SCP.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt Fall 2026 orientation, Baker personally greeted each new student and spoke about who she is, how she can help, and what students can expect from academic support during their time at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cNancy Baker exemplifies the Georgia Tech value of \u2018students are our top priority,\u2019\u201d said School Administrative Officer \u003Cstrong\u003EJan Morian\u003C\/strong\u003E. \u201cShe listens to students, cares deeply about their well-being, and is a vital link to provide students with resources. She proactively invites campus resource leaders to meet with our students, which helps foster student belonging and academic success.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMorian said Baker\u0027s impact extends beyond her work with students.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cNancy is also an outstanding colleague and collaborator, not just within our department, but across the College of Computing and the greater Institute,\u201d she said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile supporting students is at the center of her work, Baker has also made professional development and community involvement a priority. She is a graduate of the Georgia Tech\u0027s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/learn.hr.gatech.edu\/aspire\/\u0022\u003EASPIRE\u003C\/a\u003E leadership program and has participated in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/learn.hr.gatech.edu\/mentortech\/\u0022\u003EMentorTech\u003C\/a\u003E, experiences she says helped her become a stronger communicator.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShe also serves as an elected member of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/staffcouncil.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Staff Council\u003C\/a\u003E. Now in her third year, Baker previously served as chair of the Employee Engagement Committee. One of her proudest accomplishments was helping the council serve third-shift employees for the first time in its history with a Staff Appreciation Day celebration.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSCP has been super awesome about professional development and leadership opportunities,\u201d she said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStill, the most rewarding part of Baker\u0027s job is supporting students throughout their time at Georgia Tech. She gets to see the impact of her work firsthand, from helping students navigate their academic programs to hearing directly from them about the difference she has made.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cPeople can say whatever they want about me,\u201d said Baker. \u201cBut hearing directly from the students on how much I helped them through their time here, is the greatest reward.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENancy Baker supports 140 MS and PhD students as the School of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u2019s sole academic program manager. Her work combines student guidance, campus connections, and professional leadership. \u2022 Baker manages registration and scheduling inquiries, organizes orientations, and connects students with resources including mental health services and Klemis Kitchen. \u2022 Since joining SCP in February 2022, she has strengthened student support while serving on Staff Council and advancing professional development initiatives.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Nancy Baker supports 140 MS and PhD students as the School of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u2019s sole academic program manager. "}],"uid":"36253","created_gmt":"2026-09-16 17:21:44","changed_gmt":"2026-09-16 17:30:28","author":"John Popham","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-09-16T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-09-16T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"681174":{"id":"681174","type":"image","title":"Nancy-2-web-copy.jpg","body":null,"created":"1789579682","gmt_created":"2026-09-16 17:28:02","changed":"1789579682","gmt_changed":"2026-09-16 17:28:02","alt":"A smiling woman with long hair wearing a blue blouse","file":{"fid":"265538","name":"Nancy-2-web-copy.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/16\/Nancy-2-web-copy.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/09\/16\/Nancy-2-web-copy.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1390547,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/09\/16\/Nancy-2-web-copy.jpg?itok=K_1qhnti"}}},"media_ids":["681174"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"660406","name":"School of Cybersecurity \u0026 Privacy"},{"id":"660367","name":"School of Cybersecurity and Privacy"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"}],"keywords":[{"id":"167018","name":"staff"},{"id":"171330","name":"staff profile"},{"id":"1404","name":"Cybersecurity"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Popham\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommunications Officer for The School of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jpopham3@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}