About
Dr. Charles DeSassure is a nationally recognized leader in computer science and cybersecurity education, with more than two decades of experience in higher education and an additional decade in the private IT sector. He currently serves as Dean of Technology at Lamar Institute of Technology in Beaumont, Texas, where he provides strategic leadership for the Technology Department and advances the institution’s mission of delivering high-quality, workforce‑aligned technical education.
Dr. DeSassure has been instrumental in shaping cybersecurity pathways across multiple states. He played a foundational role in establishing the Cybersecurity Program at Tarrant County College in Fort Worth, Texas, one of the region’s earliest community college–based cybersecurity initiatives. He also helped Rose State College in Midwest City become the first community college in Oklahoma to offer a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity—an achievement that expanded access to advanced technical education and strengthened statewide workforce readiness.
His leadership experience spans several institutions, including service as Dean of the Business and Information Technology Division at Rose State College in Midwest City, Oklahoma, and as STEM Dean at Virginia Peninsula Community College in Hampton, Virginia, where he launched new certificate programs and strengthened transfer pathways. At Tarrant County College in Fort Worth, Texas, he held multiple leadership roles over two decades, including tenured professor, department chair, and program coordinator. Earlier in his career, he taught mathematics as a remedial and compensatory teacher in the South Carolina public school system.
Dr. DeSassure holds a doctorate in Computer Science with a concentration in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance from Colorado Technical University. His academic credentials also include advanced degrees and certifications from Webster University, Claflin University, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Before entering academia, Dr. DeSassure spent a decade in the private sector as an IT professional, serving in roles such as MIS Manager, Systems Analyst, LAN Administrator, and Programmer. This industry experience enables him to seamlessly connect real‑world, employer‑driven perspectives to higher education, program development, and institutional leadership.
Dr. DeSassure has been instrumental in shaping cybersecurity pathways across multiple states. He played a foundational role in establishing the Cybersecurity Program at Tarrant County College in Fort Worth, Texas, one of the region’s earliest community college–based cybersecurity initiatives. He also helped Rose State College in Midwest City become the first community college in Oklahoma to offer a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity—an achievement that expanded access to advanced technical education and strengthened statewide workforce readiness.
His leadership experience spans several institutions, including service as Dean of the Business and Information Technology Division at Rose State College in Midwest City, Oklahoma, and as STEM Dean at Virginia Peninsula Community College in Hampton, Virginia, where he launched new certificate programs and strengthened transfer pathways. At Tarrant County College in Fort Worth, Texas, he held multiple leadership roles over two decades, including tenured professor, department chair, and program coordinator. Earlier in his career, he taught mathematics as a remedial and compensatory teacher in the South Carolina public school system.
Dr. DeSassure holds a doctorate in Computer Science with a concentration in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance from Colorado Technical University. His academic credentials also include advanced degrees and certifications from Webster University, Claflin University, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Before entering academia, Dr. DeSassure spent a decade in the private sector as an IT professional, serving in roles such as MIS Manager, Systems Analyst, LAN Administrator, and Programmer. This industry experience enables him to seamlessly connect real‑world, employer‑driven perspectives to higher education, program development, and institutional leadership.
