Elizabeth (Beth) Hawthorne
(she/her/hers)
Director of Cybersecurity - Arlington, Professor of the Practice

Education
- PhD in Computer Information Systems, Nova Southeastern University
- MS in Management Systems Analysis, Kean University
- BS in Decision Science and Computer and Management Science, Rider University
Biography
Elizabeth “Beth” Hawthorne is a professor and a cybersecurity graduate program director in the Khoury College of Computer Sciences at Northeastern University, based in Arlington.
Hawthorne joined Khoury College in 2024 to collaborate with top-notch computer science and cybersecurity colleagues in the Align network and to impact the career trajectories of students. She teaches graduate courses in cybersecurity and digital forensics, and is particularly passionate about the exciting, dynamic field of cybersecurity education.
Previously, Hawthorne was an online lecturer at Rider University, where she served as founding director and curriculum developer for the university’s cybersecurity graduate program. As director, she taught online cybersecurity courses, advised students, supervised graduate assistants, and hired faculty. Hawthorne strives to broaden participation in computing and is a former chair of the ACM Education Board, which promotes computing education at all collegiate levels.
For more information about Hawthorne, check out her People of ACM profile.
Recent publications
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Curricular and Pedagogical Considerations in Computer Science Education: The Role of Community Colleges for the Next Decade
Citation: Christian Servin, Elizabeth K. Hawthorne, Lori Postner, Cara Tang, Cindy S. Tucker. (2024). Curricular and Pedagogical Considerations in Computer Science Education: The Role of Community Colleges for the Next Decade SIGCSE (1), 1196-1201. https://doi.org/10.1145/3626252.3630819 -
Mathematical Considerations in Two-Year Computing Degrees: The Evolution of Math in Curricular Guidelines
Citation: Christian Servin, Elizabeth K. Hawthorne, Lori Postner, Cara Tang, Cindy S. Tucker. (2023). Mathematical Considerations in Two-Year Computing Degrees: The Evolution of Math in Curricular Guidelines SIGITE, 209-212. https://doi.org/10.1145/3585059.3611441 -
Community Colleges Perspectives: From Challenges to Considerations in Curricula Development
Citation: Christian Servin, Elizabeth K. Hawthorne, Lori Postner, Cara Tang, Cindy Tucker. (2023). Community Colleges Perspectives: From Challenges to Considerations in Curricula Development SIGCSE (2), 1244. https://doi.org/10.1145/3545947.3573335 -
Retention in 2017-18 higher education computing programs in the United States
Citation: Rodrigo Duran , Elizabeth K. Hawthorne, Mihaela Sabin, Cara Tang, Mark Allen Weiss, Stuart H. Zweben. (2021). Retention in 2017-18 higher education computing programs in the United States Inroads, 12, 18-28. https://doi.org/10.1145/3448356