Leona Mitchell

Leona Mitchell began her career at IBM in Pittsburgh as a systems engineer. During her IBM tenure, she held various positions in sales, marketing, channel management and sales transformation. In 2015, she joined the faculty at the University of Pittsburgh with the objective of revitalizing the school’s undergraduate information science program and enhancing the student experience through real-world, team-based projects. Her most recent challenge has been launching the Professional Institute, targeted to working professionals who want to quickly build cybersecurity and cyber management skills.

Mitchell received the 2013 Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Pittsburgh School of Information Sciences in recognition of her professional and personal achievements in the field of information technology. In 2014, she was the recipient of CRN's 2014 Women of the Channel Award that recognizes the top female IT channel executives for their expertise, vision, and impact to the industry. Mitchell is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh (MSIS) and served as a member of the School of Information Sciences Board of Visitors, and as an Industry Advisory Council member.

With 30+ years of combined expertise in business, entrepreneurship, product-based planning, leadership, and teaching, Mitchell is devoted to building quality education that is innovative and flexible and that prepares students for exciting careers in technology.