Mark O'Connell

Mark O'Connell serves as a Part-Time Lecturer in the Cybersecurity program within the School of Arts and Sciences at St. Bonaventure University. Drawing from a 40+ year career spanning military service and corporate leadership, he delivers practical expertise in security infrastructure and technology management to graduate students.

His academic credentials include:

• M.B.A. in International Finance, Georgetown University
• M.S. in Computer Science, University of Nebraska
• B.S. in Computer Science, University of Maryland

Mr. O'Connell's professional specialization centers on operational cybersecurity, with demonstrated mastery in network defense systems, disaster recovery protocols, enterprise infrastructure management, and software lifecycle governance. His industry background provides students with real-world insights into securing critical transportation and telecommunications infrastructure at scale.

Key career milestones encompass:

• Nine years in the United States Air Force (1978-1987) managing Strategic Air Command security systems and Pentagon operations, achieving captain rank
• Security auditing consultancy at Arthur Andersen & Co. for major corporate clients
• Nine-year tenure as Technical Services Manager at Washington Metro Transit Authority directing $10M disaster recovery operations with 25 staff
• Nineteen years at Verizon in executive roles including Data Center Director overseeing $100M budgets and 125 personnel
• Current consultancy at Siwel-Livingstone advising on security frameworks and software asset management