Colonel Kevin “Keller” Beeker is the Commandant, Air Force Cyber College, Maxwell AFB, Alabama. Colonel Beeker was commissioned in the Air Force following graduation from the United States Air Force Academy in 1996, graduating with a Bachelor’s in Computer Science. Col Beeker previously served as the Chief Combat Plans Division and Vice Commander, 603d Air Operations Center, Ramstein AB, Germany. His teams provided and executed operational air combat campaign plans for the Commander, United States Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa. He provided USAFE/AFAFRICA senior leaders deliberate and crisis action planning options for CMDRs USEUCOM, USAFRICOM and NATO. Additionally, He flew operationally in the A/OA-10 during Operation SOUTHERN WATCH as well as Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. Colonel Beeker served as an exchange pilot with the US Navy flying the F/A-18 and providing liaison assistance as the Joint Close Air Support Integration Officer where he instructed and evaluated special operations Joint Terminal Attack Controllers. He also led the Combat Targets division at US Cyber Command.
Dr. Joshua Alton Sipper completed his Doctoral work at Trident University in September of 2012, earning a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership (emphasis, E-Learning Leadership). Dr. Sipper’s previous degrees were obtained from Troy University (M.Ed. Education) and Faulkner University (B.S. English). Dr. Sipper is a veteran who served honorably in the U.S. Air Force in the intelligence career field, and worked for Lockheed Martin in a similar capacity on the U2 program. More recently, Dr. Sipper shifted his focus into the cyber realm as a Systems Engineer for General Dynamics at the Air Force’s 26th Network Operations Squadron, followed by an eight-year stint as a civil servant in the Air Force cyber career field at the Curtis E. LeMay Center for Doctrine Development and Education. Dr. Sipper currently serves as a Professor of Cyber Warfare Studies at the Air Force Cyber College, Air War College, Air University, Maxwell AFB. Dr. Sipper’s research interests include cyber ISR, policy, strategy, and warfare.
Mrs. Cheryl King serves as the AF Cyber College Outreach and Advancement Branch Manager. She directs the administrative, financial, and human resource programs and processes in accordance with Commandant’s guidance. She plans, organizes, manages and leads the day-to-day AF Cyber College support operations that must meet Air War College, Air University, AETC, MAJCOMs, HQ AF and DoD requirements and standards. Prior to working at the Cyber College, she was the Branch Chief for the Air University Press. Mrs. King holds a Master’s of Science degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resource Management from Central Michigan University, Carbondale, Michigan and a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Health Care Administration from Southern Illinois University. Additionally, she holds a certificate in Security Leadership Essentials for Managers through SANS.
Dr. Chad L. Dacus is the Associate Dean for Research at the Air Force Cyber College, and an adjunct professor at Air University’s Air Command and Staff College. His research interests include defense acquisition, economics and its impact on national security strategy, and cyber risk modeling. He has particular interest in improving the metrics available to policymakers. His published works in defense acquisition include “Improving Acquisition Outcomes through Simple System Technology Readiness Metrics” and “Giving the Schedule Its Due: A Conceptual Framework for Defense Acquisition” (both appeared in the Defense Acquisition Research Journal). He has added a cyber focus to his defense acquisition research and authored “Designing Cybersecurity into Defense Systems: An Information Economics Approach” which will appear in IEEE’s Security & Privacy. He wrote “Chinese Soft Economic Warfare” in The Asia-Pacific Century: Challenges and Opportunities and co-authored “China-US Relations: Moving Toward Greater Cooperation or Conflict” (Strategic Studies Quarterly). Before joining AFRI, Dr. Dacus served as a Research Analyst and Fleet Forces Command Field Representative for the Center for Naval Analyses. During his time at CNA, he authored numerous technical reports examining such topics as the aggregation of readiness metrics, projecting support costs for the Joint Strike Fighter, and resolving recurring issues in Navy expeditionary logistics. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Rice University and an M.S. in Statistics from Texas A&M University.
Col Anthony Franks, USAFR, is an instructor with the Air Force Cyber College. He is a command pilot with over 4,000 hours in the B-52H, C-130H2, and trainer aircraft serving as squadron commander, evaluator, instructor, and staff officer with over 19 years of flying experience and 6 years of Joint Special Operations experience. He has over 680 hours of combat time during Operations IRAQI FREEDOM, ENDURING FREEDOM, INHERENT RESOLVE, and operations with Counter Terrorism JSOTFs. He serves as an Air University Cyber College instructor. He entered the Air Force with a commission from the United States Air Force Academy in 1999, graduating with a B.S. in Business Management. In addition, he earned a Master of Science from Southwestern Assemblies of God University as well as a Master of Arts in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Air War College.
Colonel Bosko is the Cyber Chair for Air University and an instructor at the Air Force Cyber College. He was commissioned into the Air Force from the ROTC program at the University of Maryland in 1989, graduating with a Bachelor's in Computer Science. In addition, he has earned a Master of Science from the University of Maryland in Information Technology. He is a Master Cyber Operator and a Basic Space Operator. He has commanded four different units, garrison and deployed, and has served on USAFE, AMC, and US CyberCom staffs. He teaches Functional Mission Analysis-Cyber, Cyber for Aviation, Cyber Fundamentals, and Introduction to Cyber Law courses at Air Force Cyber College.
Dr. Michael L. Thomas is currently assigned to Maxwell AFB, AL as a Professor of Cyberwarfare Studies. Previously he was with Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Charleston as a C4ISR Systems Engineer in the Communications and Networks Division stationed in the Stuttgart Germany office. In this capacity he is responsible for the design, implementation and fielding of major Systems Engineering projects initiated by the Navy, sister services and other US government customers and in the Heidelberg Office supporting HQ USAREUR in Geospatial Engineering. He was on detached special duty after being activated in March 2007, and served a short tour at the Pentagon, as the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) LNO to the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) and in numerous staff positions in the J2 and J3 staffs at USAFRICOM and USEUCOM. In addition to his academic credentials, Dr. Thomas holds multiple certifications in Software Quality Engineering (CSQE), Geospatial Systems Professional (GISP) and is also a DAU Certified Level II Systems Engineer.
Lt Col Paul R. Brenner PhD PE, is the Senior Reserve Advisor to the Air Force Cyber College Commandant. In this capacity he advises the AFCC leadership on military reserve matters and leads the provision of technical and operational capabilities to AFCC through the service of numerous reserve and guard members directly supporting AFCC. Additionally, Lt Col Brenner provides technical expertise as an AFCC instructor, researcher and course content developer. He has six years squadron command experience and served as a deputy group commander prior to joining AFCC. In his civilian career Dr. Brenner is a computer science faculty member at the University of Notre Dame and Associate Director of Notre Dame's Center for Research Computing, directing a team of technical experts in the operation of millions of dollars of high performance computing hardware and software infrastructure for an active user base of over 2,000 researchers.
Mr. Anthony Kendrick is the Curriculum Specialist at the Air Force Cyber College at Maxwell AFB, Alabama. He advises the commandant and dean on Air Force Cyber College curricula. Mr. Kendrick oversees the curriculum development, learning methodology, and instructional design. He collaborates with external agencies to facilitate faculty publication opportunities. Mr. Kendrick executes special projects and performs additional duties.