In the exciting world of cybersecurity, where being strong is important, the brand-new Dr. Sandra Leiterman not only protects digital spaces but also sets a path of inspiration.
Juggling a busy job as the leader of the Cyber Arena at UA Little Rock, along with lots of research and teaching, and a strong dedication to education, Leiterman recently reached an impressive goal—she earned her doctoral degree.
Back in 2020, Leiterman was already pursuing a doctorate in STEM when she made a brave choice to change Ph.D. programs to the Urban Education program at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, focusing on math education. During the same year, she also changed her job to work in cybersecurity education at UA Little Rock.
“Life has lots of surprises,” Leiterman shared. “Sometimes, taking surprising paths can lead you to wonderful places you never thought possible.” Throughout it all, I embraced the spirit of the panther – moving with strength, confidence, and adaptability through unknown adventures. I’m grateful for the support of my family, friends, and colleagues. I’m excited to start the new year as Dr. Sandra Leiterman.
For the last three years, Leiterman has been managing a busy job, working on important cybersecurity projects at UA Little Rock, while also attending classes and doing research for her doctorate. She’s been taking care of her family and helping with STEM education in her free time.
You need a bit of craziness, which I’ve got, to do this, but it’s really about managing your time,” Leiterman explained. Some days, I had many meetings, and then I still had classes and homework to finish. The most important thing for me was having a schedule and managing my time well. It turned out to be more work than I thought, but I’m really happy to be finished.
In her special project called “Success in College Algebra: Looking at How Students Feel in Corequisite College Algebra Courses,” Leiterman studied what college students go through in algebra classes. She paid attention to how students feel about math and what they think at the start and end of the class, especially focusing on math anxiety and mindset.
“The big question is how what students like, how they feel, and what they believe, affects whether they choose to take the first college algebra class,” Leiterman explained. “Things like where they grew up and what they learned in school before college also affect how they do math in college.”
What she discovered shows that when teachers focus on students and give them extra help in the special college algebra classes, students tend to have better experiences. But, it’s important how well teachers do this – they need to learn and get better at it. This also means that the special classes need to be designed in a way that helps students work together and have interesting learning experiences, so everyone can learn well.
Leiterman has a bachelor’s degree in teaching middle school math and science and a special certificate in teaching bright and talented students from UA Little Rock. She also has a master’s degree in using technology for teaching from Kansas State.
But she’s not done learning! Two years ago, she joined UA Little Rock’s National Cybersecurity Teaching Academy. By the end of the summer, she’ll finish another special program and get a certificate for teaching about cybersecurity.
“I believe that’s the last time I’ll formally go to school, at least for now. But you know, we never really stop learning,” she said.
Her journey is not just about doing well in school; it shows the strong spirit that real leaders have in the fast-changing world of cybersecurity.
It’s never too late to decide what’s important to you,” Leiterman shared. “That’s what I want to tell everyone. I’m 48, and I just finished my doctorate. “I didn’t finish college and get my bachelor’s degree until I was 35 years old.” I did things in a different order, but my career has been really satisfying. And you know what? You can always teach an old dog new tricks.
