Data analytics thought leader Dr. Herman Felder brings his expertise to STEM education

From a young age, “I had a dream to build things, either with my hands or computers,” explains Dr. Herman Felder, a three-time Capitol Technology University graduate. He has his Bachelor’s in Information Assurance, Master’s in Information Assurance – both of which are now part of Capitol Tech’s programs in Cybersecurity– and his PhD in Business Analytics and Data Science. 

His passion – which began as a childhood love for circuit boards and Legos – has led to a cutting-edge career in data analytics. Today, Dr. Felder is Chief Data Architect at Information International Associates where he works with clients like the NSA to innovate complex data analytics and technology solutions, and is a thought leader in his field. You can also find him on the Capitol Tech’s Laurel, Maryland campus teaching as an adjunct professor.

“Last semester, I taught Introduction to Data Science, which is a course that I developed. I taught the Capitol Tech freshman class the real tools that we use in data science,” said Dr. Felder. “I think it was an eye-opener for students to see what data scientists, software developers and engineers are using.”

In addition to teaching classes, Dr. Felder works with other Capitol Tech professors to develop coursework that addresses up-to-the-minute issues in data science, business analytics, and cybersecurity. With the rapid pace of technology development, it’s more important than ever to understand the latest technology trends and challenges. Dr. Felder explains that new concepts like wearable tech leave the average person more vulnerable to cyber-attack. The pace of advancement alone brings a new set of pros and cons. For example, “it used to be every 18 months or so your laptop will be out of date. Because of how quickly new technology will come out and push the envelope, it’s become almost every quarter,” he adds. 

Building a Bridge to New Knowledge

“I saw a gap in the knowledge,” Dr. Felder explains, which is what led him to earn a PhD in Business Analytics and Data Science.

His doctoral dissertation focused on data quality management in big data warehouses, and methods to measure the quality and consistency of this data. However, this was far from the end of his learning. “Technology changes all the time. I'm constantly looking at newsfeeds, different articles that are published, talking to my coworkers. When I encounter something that I don’t know, I investigate it further, which sends me down a rabbit hole and I’ll keep learning new information about my field.”

“I’m still adding to the building blocks of my knowledge. But now, I'm also helping to build those blocks to lay that foundation for the students that are coming up under me. That’s part of the reason why I wanted to go back to Capitol Tech – to help cultivate the next students who will defend our nation in cyberspace,” he says.

Confidence Comes with Experience

“As a visual and hands-on learner, being able to apply what I’m learning and get muscle memory in place makes me retain information so much faster,” Dr. Felder explains.  While he found that many programs lack this vital learning component, this was not at all the case at Capitol Tech. “My confidence in my knowledge on how to configure and run routers and switches, the different commands, swap out hard drives – that’s all thanks to Capitol Tech and the hands-on labs,” he says. 

Dr. Felder was always a focused student and began honing his technology skills quite early in his education. In high school, he became certified in CompTIA+ and Network+ through a computer engineering technology program. While completing his Bachelor’s in Information Assurance at Capitol Tech, Dr. Felder explains that he was equally focused on being proactive about what he would do with his degree after graduation. He credits the university for supporting and assisting him in this process.

“Capitol Tech did a great job in laying out a path for me,” he says, “they had workshops to help us to shape and mold our resumes.” In the summer before his senior year, he began an internship with a contracting company that allowed him to work with the NSA. Dr. Felder adds, “when I got that internship and learned about the security clearance process, that's when I understood what the NSA actually does and how to properly defend the nation from a cyber perspective.”

He felt ready to enter the workforce – immediately finding ways to apply the skills he learned in his Capitol Tech courses on the job and has continued to do so throughout his career.

“There were multiple classes that gave me the networking skills that I needed to work not only in small business, but enterprise-level architecture,” he says. However, he ultimately chose to go straight into his Master’s in Information Assurance program. “I wanted to keep the momentum going.”

More Than a Number

Capitol Tech wasn’t the only school that Dr. Felder and his mother, Blanche Jackson, investigated during his college search. The warmth of Capitol Tech’s campus community made the university stand out from other institutions. 

“When Herman and I found Capitol Tech, we just fell in love. It was important to find a STEM school where he wouldn’t just be a number,” Blanche says. “The simple fact that you could stand in the middle of the campus and look around and see the whole school – that itself is heartwarming,” she adds.

Dr. Felder did find a community at Capitol Tech – and not just academically and professionally. His wife is a Capitol Tech graduate, who also has a Bachelor’s in Information Assurance.

“I would call myself a ‘Capitol Tech evangelist’ — any chance that I get, I say that I'm from Capitol Tech and I say it with pride,” Dr. Felder says. He stays involved with the university as much as possible, through alumni programs, volunteering to interview incoming freshmen for the Capitol Scholars Program,and by regularly speaking with faculty about different teaching opportunities. “I remember what the faculty did for me back when I was in my undergrad, and that inspires me to do more.”

“If any high school student has a focus in cybersecurity, business analytics or computer science, I tell them to make Capitol Tech their first choice,” Dr. Felder says. As a community, Capitol Tech students, alumni and faculty are making a name for themselves while helping one another succeed. He explains that years later, all the faculty and staff who are still at Capitol Tech from when he was in undergrad remember him – there’s great comfort in that. Echoing his mother’s initial sentiments, he says “it’s one of the things I loved about Capital Tech – you’re not a number, you’re a name.”

As Washington D.C.’s Premier STEM University, Capitol Technology University offers students the right combination of hands-on learning, career guidance and community support to achieve their highest potential. Dr. Herman Felder is one of many students who has graduated to go into a cutting-edge science and technology career. Capitol Tech students have the advantage of learning from him and other professors who are established professionals and give Capitol Tech curricula up-to-the-minute relevance.