Pam Schmelz is a Professor and Department Chair for the School of Information Technology at Ivy Tech Community College – Columbus campus, focusing on Cybersecurity. 

Prior to working for Ivy Tech, she worked almost 10 years at a major engine manufacturer and co-owned and operated a boutique winery for about four years, and currently co-owns and operates a real estate company and a food truck. She is enthusiastic about all things Information Technology, and she has earned several certifications, including CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional), CCENT (Cisco Entry level Network Technician), CompTIA Linux+, LPIC-1 (Linux Professional Institute), CASP (CompTIA Advanced Security Professional), Amazon Cloud Practitioner, Azure Fundamentals and Palo Alto Networks Certified Cybersecurity Entry-level Technician. In addition to the certifications, Pam is a long-time member of Infragard. On the educational side, she is a certified Quality Matters peer reviewer to help ensure quality online courses are developed. 

Pam started the CyberAcademy at Muscatatuck Urban Training center in Butlerville, IN. This program takes students through the AAS Cybersecurity program in 11 months – this is typically done in two years. This is an intense but great program, as graduates can get high-wage jobs after only 11 months. 

In the community, she is currently on the Bartholomew County Computer and Data Processing Board. She is interested in making everyone aware of how important it is to protect their data; both at home and at work. Pam enjoys playing trumpet for the Columbus City Band and the Sounds of Dreams big band.