MDC Faculty

My Background and Interests

Dr. Diego Tibaquirá is Miami Dade College's National Security Agency Center for Academic Excellence in CyberSecurity/CyberDefense Point of Contact (NSA CAE PoC).

Dr. Diego Tibaquirá served in the United States Marines for 8 years. 

His experience in the field includes working for the Federal Government in Washington, DC as an Information Security Specialist having a Secret Security Clearance, and PEPSICO as a Data Analyst.

Dr. Tibaquirá is a Professor of Computer Science with a concentration in CyberSecurity, Cloud Computing, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) at Miami Dade College Padrón Campus, where he teaches Intro to Networking, Operating Systems, Cloud Computing, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and CyberSecurity. He also works with the Honors College, teaches Honors Courses, and is a Lead Faculty for the Honors College and Lead Advisor of the Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society at the Padrón Campus.

Dr. Tibaquirá has spent the past couple of years helping build the curriculum in CyberSecurity and Cloud Computing. Serving as Principal Investigator and Co-Principal Investigator in multiple grants of over $1 Million Dollars to help develop new programs, provide professional development opportunities and help educate the next generation of CyberSecurity and Cloud Computing Workforce. 

Dr. Tibaquirá is a recipient of the Endowed Teaching Chair Award in 2021 and 2017 (2021 George W. Jenkins/Publix Super Markets Charities Endowed Teaching Chair & 2017 Robert Russell Memorial Foundation Endowed Teaching Chair).

Nominated to the 2021 Ethical Hacker Hall of Fame. In 2021, elected to the grade of Senior Member by IEEE (the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) for recognition of Professional Standing and Significant Performance in the field. Received the 2021 Academic Instructor Circle of Excellence Award. In 2021, selected as a Fulbright Specialist for a tenure of four years. 2022 Outstanding Community College Professional by NASPA, PTK Continued Excellence Award for Advisors, and finalist for the AACC 2025 Faculty Innovation Award.

Courses (Currently Teaching and Taught) 

CyberSecurity
CTS1134 - Networking Technologies
CTS1120 - Cybersecurity Fundamentals 
CIS2350 - Cybersecurity Analysis 
CTS2314 - Network defense and countermeasures

Cloud Computing
CTS1145 - Cloud Essentials
CTS2375 - Cloud Infrastructure and Services
CTS 2960 - Cloud Computing Capstone

Artificial Intelligence (AI)
CAI1001 - Artificial Intelligence (AI) Thinking

Honors College
IDH1001 - Interdisciplinary Honors Seminar 1
IDH1002 - Interdisciplinary Honors Seminar 2
IDH2003 - Interdisciplinary Honors Seminar 3
IDH2004 - Interdisciplinary Honors Seminar 4

Industry Certifications

CyberSecurity
Certified Chief Information Security Officer
CISSP - Certified Information Systems Security Professional
Certified Ethical Hacker
AWS Certified Security – Specialty
CompTIA CySA+ (CyberSecurity Analyst)
CompTIA Security+
CompTIA Security Analytics Professional – CSAP Stackable Certification
IBM Cybersecurity Practitioner - Instructor Certificate
IBM Enterprise Design Thinking - Team Essentials for AI
Certified Secure Computer User (C/SCU)
Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer
CompTIA A+

Cloud Computing
AWS Solutions Architect Associate
AWS Cloud Practitioner
AWS Academy Graduate - AWS Academy Cloud Foundations & Cloud Architecting
AWS Academy Accredited Educator
Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals
CompTIA Cloud Essentials

Artificial Intelligence
AWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer - Associate
AWS Certified AI Practitioner
Certified AI Security Specialist (CAISS)

Teaching Practices
ACUE Effective Online Teaching Practices
ACUE Effective College Instruction (Face-to-Face Teaching Practices)
QMO Quality Matters Teaching Online Certificate
OLC - Advanced Online Teaching Consortium Certificate Saturday Seminar Series offered by Best Teachers Institute and sponsored by MDC’s Office of Faculty Development and Classroom Engagement

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Phi Theta Kappa Advisor and Honors College Lead Faculty

Dr. Diego Tibaquirá has served as the chapter advisor at Miami Dade College Padrón Campus Beta Kappa Iota Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa for 15 years. He also served as the first Lead Faculty for the Honors College Dual Language Program at Padrón Campus, and served in this role for 15 years. In all of his years of service, he has consistently demonstrated a commitment to student success, motivating students to achieve more than they thought possible while fostering leadership and civic engagement.

As an advisor, Dr. Tibaquirá’s mission is to inspire students to push beyond their limits and become servant leaders who contribute not only to their academic community but also to society at large. By encouraging his students to volunteer and engage with the community, they gain valuable life experiences that shape them into culturally aware and civically responsible individuals.

With over 15 years of advising experience, Dr. Tibaquirá’s leadership has directly contributed to numerous student successes. Under his guidance, Miami Dade College Padrón Campus has produced 18 Jack Kent Cooke winners, 8 All-USA scholars, 7 New Century Scholars, 5 Hites Scholars, 79 Leaders of Promise, and countless other prestigious awards since 2014. Dr. Tibaquirá’s dedication to student growth is evident in the recognition he has received over the years, including the Phi Theta Kappa Faculty Scholar designation, Distinguished Advisor Award, the Dale P. Parnell Distinguished Faculty Designation from the American Association of Community Colleges, and being nominated to serve in Phi Theta Kappa's Honors Program Council for 4 years.

Grant Awards/Projects

National Center for Academic Excellence in CyberSecurity Designated by the National Security Agency (NSA) – CyberSecurity Faculty Lead & Point of Contact (Awarded)
NSF Cybersecurity Grant – Principal Investigator (Awarded) - $410,000
GenCyber Grant (National Security Agency) Lead Instructor (Awarded) - $94,193
NSF Cybersecurity Grant – Principal Investigator (Awarded) - $259,310
NSF Cloud Computing Grant – Co-Principal Investigator (Awarded) - $256,451
NSF INCLUDES ALRISE Alliance – Eastern Hub Coordinator & Co-Principal Investigator (Awarded) - $10 Million Grant
The Cyber Skills for All: Community Colleges Lead the Way (AACC & Microsoft) - CyberSecurity Faculty Lead (Awarded)