March 29, 2023 | 4:00 - 6:00 PM | Brix & Columns Vineyard

Cybersecurity Tips and Tricks to Use for Taking Action - CANCELLED

Presenter:  Dr. Edna Reid

Join former FBI analyst Edna Reid as she shares current tips about ways to protect yourself from becoming another victim of cyber-attacks such as freezing your credit reports!  She will also discuss tricks that cyber threat actors (hackers) use to take advantage of your trust such as using obituaries to conduct research about your deceased loved ones and using it for impersonation scams.  There will be plenty of engaging discussion as she shares tips and tricks while encouraging you to share yours.

Dr. Reid is the designer & adjunct faculty of JMU Cyber Intelligence Graduate Certificate Program. She retired from the FBI where she was an intelligence analyst who designed an innovative project that was nominated for the FBI Director’s Award. Because of the project, she got an opportunity to brief Robert Mueller, Director of the FBI. Prior to FBI, she held positions at the CIA, private industry, and taught at several universities (e.g., Rutgers University,). For ten years, she was in Southeast Asia where she taught at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, and worked as an entrepreneur in Malaysia.
She has a Doctorate in Library Science (DLS) from the University of Southern California, Master of Library Science (MLS) from University of Maryland, Graduate Certificate in Denial and Deception from National Intelligence University, and a B.S. from DC Teacher College. She is an alum of Dunbar High School, Washington, D.C.

April 19, 2023 | 4:00 - 6:00 PM | Brix & Columns Vineyard

Case Studies in Forensic Anthropology

Presenter: Peg Caldwell-Ott

Peg Caldwell-Ott will review the 13 steps of the Protocol for Forensic Anthropology, then present case studies of interest from her practice at the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner, where she was the Consulting Forensic Anthropologist from February 1982 through December 2001. Emphasis will be placed on how the cases illustrate the various steps of the protocol and some of the more interesting features that the speaker encountered in her 18 years of practice.

Peg Caldwell-Ott is the daughter of a US Foreign Service Officer and spent most of her younger days living with her family abroad in Denmark, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, India, Ethiopia, and Turkey. She graduated from Cornell University in 1979 with a Bachelor of Arts cum laude in Anthropology. She received her Master of Arts degree from Arizona State University in 1981 with additional training in Forensic Anthropology at the University of Arizona. From 1982 through 2016, Peg worked in the private schools of New York City and environs (Brearley 1982-1988, Rutgers Prep 1988-1991 and St. Bernard’s 1992-2016) teaching Lower and Middle School Science, concurrent with her work for the Office of Chief Medical Examiner. She is now retired and currently lives in Rockingham County with her husband and three cats.

May 17, 2023 | 4:00 - 6:00 PM | Brix & Columns Vineyard

Rediscovering Industrial Hemp

Presenter:  Abner Johnson

Abner is the founder of Pure Shenandoah, formerly Shenandoah Valley Hemp.  He will review the history of industrial hemp from 8000 BC to present day, highlighting the important dates that have pushed the industry to where it is today.  He will talk about Pure Shenandoah's transition from a half-acre outdoor grow operation to a 12,000 sq ft production facility that distributes to more than 200 retail locations across the United States.  Abner will also discuss what's in store for hemp over the next decade.

Abner Johnson is one of nine children, born and raised in Harrisonburg. His parents, Rick and Christine Johnson founded the University Outpost after meeting at JMU. Being exposed to a small business at a young age provided him with the opportunity to follow in his parent’s footsteps. At 19 years old, Abner founded Shenandoah Valley Hemp which was rebranded to Pure Shenandoah. Pure Shenandoah is a nationally recognized Hemp & CBD brand that provides clean, safe products to over 25,000 consumers every month. Abner’s main goals are to help people become healthier and aid America in providing more domestically manufactured products.

Back to Top