SENTRY Leadership Spotlight: Margaret “Midge” Cozzens
Meet Dr. Margaret “Midge” Cozzens, Workforce and Professional Development Co-Lead at SENTRY and Distinguished Research Professor at Rutgers University’s Center for Discrete Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science (DIMACS). Midge brings a pragmatic and results-oriented approach to her work, demonstrated through decades of academic and corporate leadership. Her passion for teaching and dedication to her work make her an invaluable asset to the SENTRY team. Read on to learn more about Midge’s professional journey and commitment to educating the next generation of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) leaders.
Midge holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Mathematics from Rutgers University and a B.A. in Mathematics and English from the University of Rochester. She has taught at various institutions, including Northeastern University, Harvard University, and the University of Colorado at Denver, where she held leadership positions, including Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs and Provost. Previously, Midge worked with the National Science Foundation as Director of the Division of Elementary, Secondary, and Informal Science Education. Midge also served on the Board of Directors of the Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum, the Securis Corporation, and the Board of Trustees of the Consortium on Mathematics and its Applications (COMAP).
Midge’s research interests span discrete mathematical modeling, graph theory, and game theory. She actively contributes to projects like The Value of Computational Thinking Across Grade Levels at DIMACS, funded by the National Science Foundation. As the Education and Outreach Director for CCICADA, the Homeland Security Center of Excellence at Rutgers University, she plays a key role in shaping the multidisciplinary landscape of research and education in homeland security.
Currently, as the Workforce and Professional Development Co-Lead at SENTRY, Midge focuses on educating faculty and students at Community Colleges (CCs) and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) about homeland security topics. She does so through the Reconnect Workshops, a long-running program at Rutgers University’s DIMACS Center. An annual event, Reconnect Workshops became part of SENTRY’s workforce and professional development program in 2022.
As the event leader and organizer, Midge intends for these workshops to foster broader participation in STEM across underrepresented groups at CCs and undergraduate institutions. She accomplishes this goal by engaging faculty in the exploration of specific research themes related to the SENTRY effort to protect soft targets and crowded places. Each year, she works to select a research theme for the Reconnect Workshops and solicits applications for MSI faculty participation in the week-long summer program. At these events, SENTRY researchers speak to the center’s vision, mission, and ongoing research to inspire the creation of seminar presentations, undergraduate research projects, and educational modules for attending faculty to utilize at their home institutions.
Looking ahead, Midge envisions a more multidisciplinary approach to homeland security and emphasizes the need for an increased focus on teaching. She believes collaboration, diversity, and education are essential pillars of STEM innovation.
Outside of her professional pursuits, Midge is an avid quilter. Quilting, commonly considered a mathematical art form, is a hobby that perfectly complements her mathematical prowess.
Pictured: Quilt created by Midge Cozzens.
