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Sajida Shabanali

Biography

Sajida Shabanali has recently embraced a new role as a Cybersecurity Instructor and Employer Engagement Coordinator. She joined the UWF Center of Cybersecurity team in January 2023 as the Employers Network Coordinator for the CyberSkills2Work National Cybersecurity Workforce Development Program.

A proud three-time alumna of the University of West Florida, Sajida earned her Bachelor’s degree, along with both her Master’s degrees in Software Engineering and Cybersecurity, all from UWF.

Known as a “people person,” Sajida is deeply committed to guiding students in achieving their career aspirations and advancing their professional journeys. With a strong background in Information Technology, she is acutely aware of the competitive landscape of the Cybersecurity job market. She passionately advocates for enhancing skill sets through industry certifications available at the Center. Her mission is clear: to connect each of our exceptional learners with their dream jobs. Sajida believes wholeheartedly in the power of dreaming big, asserting that the sky is the limit. She is convinced that hard work, education, and strategic networking can pave the way to success, regardless of the obstacles that may be encountered. As a first-generation college graduate, her life story serves as a powerful testament to this belief.

In her free time, Sajida loves to travel and explore the world. She has visited multiple countries across five of the seven continents, with an African safari on her bucket list. Her favorite destination remains the vibrant Times Square in New York City. For Sajida, life is an adventure, and her mantra is to live each day to the fullest.

Born in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania—a picturesque beach town in East Africa—Sajida’s roots trace back to her great-grandparents, who migrated from what is now India in the 1900s. She spent her childhood in Dubai before moving to the United States, where she is now a proud citizen.

Publications

Bagui SS, Mink D, Bagui SC, Ghosh T, Plenkers R, McElroy T, Dulaney S, Shabanali S. Introducing UWF-
ZeekData22: A Comprehensive Network Traffic Dataset Based on the MITRE ATT&CK Framework. Data.
2023; 8(1):18. 

Community Leadership

  • Florida Business Leaders of America FBLA – Advisor, Judge, and Volunteer
  • Florida Key Club – Volunteer
  • National Center for Women and Information Technology NCWIT –Ambassador, Judge, and Volunteer
  • Society for Women in Engineering – Judge and Volunteer
  • Women in Cybersecurity – Judge and Volunteer

Awards and Honors

  • Career Champion awarded by the UWF Office of Career Development and Community Engagement
  • Florida’s Great Northwest Wired Graduate Studies in Computer Science scholarship recipient
  • Alpha Beta Gamma and Phi Theta Kappa Honor Societies
  • The Social Science Award
  • The Alumni Association Academic Award
  • Outstanding Writing Award - Second Honors
  • Nominated for the Bill Gates Millennium Scholarship
  • USS Senate Award and Scholarship