Christopher Webster
Cybersecurity and Emerging Technology Program Director
Phone: 410-706-5719
Email: cwebster@umaryland.edu
Areas of Expertise: Cybersecurity | Public Safety Technology | Emergency Management | Resilience
Certifications and Affiliations: Maryland State Bar, admitted December 2010
Education: J.D., 2010, University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law | B.S. in Finance and Accounting, 2006, Colorado State University
About Chris
I first got into this field as a law student interning with CHHS, looking to begin a public service career where I could make a meaningful impact on my community. What I thought would be a one-summer experience quickly turned into a 15-year journey, thanks to the incredible culture, projects, and people I found here. One of the most impactful projects I’ve worked on was during the COVID-19 pandemic, when I joined the Montgomery County Food Security Task Force to help address the surge in food insecurity. As a Montgomery County resident, it was deeply rewarding to support my neighbors during such a challenging time, and even more fulfilling to help launch the Montgomery County Office of Food Systems Resilience to strengthen our food systems for the future. What I love most about working at CHHS is being surrounded by some of the smartest, most dedicated people I’ve ever met—all committed to making our communities safer and more resilient. As an academic center, our focus isn’t on profit or growth, but on building up the communities we serve, and that mission continues to inspire me every day.
What is your working style?
I’m a big believer in creating space to think. For any project I’m working on I like to book times for deep distraction-free work. In our modern hyper-connected world, I think this is a must. We are working on hard problems that require focus, creativity, and time to solve. As I schedule dedicated time to mull over an issue or challenge, I often joke that ‘I’m thinking about thinking about it.’
What's something most people don't know about you?
I have an eye condition that made it hard for me to learn to read sentences without losing my place. In fact, I struggled so much that I basically couldn’t read out loud from a simple book when I entered the fourth grade. I had an amazing teacher (shout-out to Mr. Shepherd!) and dedicated parents who helped me practice and find techniques and tools that worked for me. By the time I graduated high school I was reading at around 900 words per minute. My whole career is built around reading and writing, and that’s only possible because people stuck with me even when I fell behind. Now I volunteer as a tutor at Reading Partners, a group that pairs emerging readers with adult tutors who can help them learn to read. Learning to read is hard – but everyone has a right to learn to read.
How do you spend your time outside of work?
I play a lot of games! Weekends at our house almost always involve a board game, a puzzle game, or word play. My wife and I are big fans of the Exit Escape Room puzzle games, which we work on after the kids are in bed. I also love playing chess. For anyone interested in a game I’m christophersw at chess.com.
