Mike Peterson is the Associate Dean and Director for the Bachelor’s in Computer Science program in Western Governors University’s College of Information Technology. He has lead the CS program since it’s inception five years ago, to its current state with nearly 5,000 active students and more than 2,000 graduates . Prior to WGU, Mike taught Computer Science, Math, and IT classes at several colleges and served as the Information Security Administrator for a community college. Prior to teaching, he graduated from the US Coast Guard Academy and served in the Coast Guard for 15 years. Mike has earned several professional certifications including CompTIA’s A+, Network+, Security+ and Linux+, along with Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Computer Science and a PhD in Information Technology Education. He also serves on the ABET Computing Accreditation Commission and Computing Sciences Accreditation Board.