Nancy Baker: the One Stop Shop for Cybersecurity Student Success

The start of the semester is Nancy Baker's Super Bowl.

From planning and executing orientation to answering students' questions about their schedules, Baker does it all. As the sole academic program manager for the School of Cybersecurity and Privacy (SCP), she is the go-to person for 140 MS and PhD students.

“The beginning of the semester can be a bit crazy,” said Baker. “Every inquiry about registration comes through me.”

Beyond 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 Klemis Kitchen, and other programs.

Baker 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.

“I could sense the urgency when I started to get in here and help the department in any way I could,” she said. “It’s nice to know I was able to come in and help the department get to a better place.”

Her 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.

At 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.

“Nancy Baker exemplifies the Georgia Tech value of ‘students are our top priority,’” said School Administrative Officer Jan Morian. “She 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.”

Morian said Baker's impact extends beyond her work with students.

“Nancy is also an outstanding colleague and collaborator, not just within our department, but across the College of Computing and the greater Institute,” she said.

While 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's ASPIRE leadership program and has participated in MentorTech, experiences she says helped her become a stronger communicator.

She also serves as an elected member of the Georgia Tech Staff Council. 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.

“SCP has been super awesome about professional development and leadership opportunities,” she said.

Still, the most rewarding part of Baker's 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.

“People can say whatever they want about me,” said Baker. “But hearing directly from the students on how much I helped them through their time here, is the greatest reward.”