How to accidentally be an academic
In this episode of The Education Road, we sit down with Joe McManus, CISO at Grafana, whose circuitous educational journey led from dreams of being a professional mountain biker to becoming a cybersecurity leader and passionate educator.
Joe's transition into technology happened organically during the dot-com boom when a consulting opportunity introduced him to Unix system administration.
A pivotal moment came early in his career when a compromised web server at the City of Boulder sparked his interest in cybersecurity.
After he earned a Master's in Information Technology and Management, he eventually transitioned into full-time academia at the University of Colorado. As a professor, he developed innovative cybersecurity curricula that combined technical rigor with business practicality, requiring students to take business courses alongside their technical studies.
Joe left full-time academia and his career path continued evolving through CISO roles at various companies.
Currently teaching part-time at Utah State University while serving as CISO at Grafana, Joe embodies the intersection of education and industry practice. His teaching approach has evolved to meet changing student needs, incorporating flexible assessment methods and real-world projects.
Joe's journey illustrates how curiosity, continuous learning, and willingness to embrace unexpected opportunities can create a fulfilling career spanning industry leadership and academic impact, proving that sometimes the most rewarding paths are indeed the most circuitous ones.