Kankonde

April Kankonde is a Research Security Manager within the Research Security Office at the University of Maryland. April joined UMD in 2020, working on the Research Computing team within the Division of IT. Her primary focus at the university has been on securing the university's CUI Environment and managing NIST 800-171 compliance activities; along with CMMC preparation. Transitioning over to the Division of Research in 2024, April's focus is on bridging the gap between cybersecurity and research; understanding federal regulations as it relates to research, and identifying campus IT resources that meet the level of security required based on data classification. Prior to UMD, April worked as a government contractor at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and TSA HQ. April holds a Master's degree in Cybersecurity Management & Policy, and recently joined the planning committee for the Regulated Research Community of Practice (RRCoP).