Dr. Tonya Fields is the Founder and CEO of Connected Compass LLC, an organization dedicated to creating and sustaining excitement for learning introductory to advanced topics in information technology, computer science, and cybersecurity for diverse students primarily from underrepresented populations. Training topics include coding, robotics, digital forensics, networking,  cybersecurity, and quantum computing among many others.

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Dr. Fields served 26 years in the United States Navy. She is a retired Information Systems Technician Master Chief. All of her friends and family take pride in referring to her as “Dr. Master Chief”.  She has a reputation for “getting things done”.  She has a passion for developing leaders; she is authentic, engaging. and sincere. She meets no strangers, because in her eyes and heart,  "you are family, you matter,  our paths are connected by Spirit" 

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Dr. Master Chief is formally trained as a computer scientist. She earned a Bachelor's and Masters's Degree in Computer Science from Norfolk State University and a Doctorate in Professional Studies in Computing from Pace University.   Her research interest has focused on Artificial Intelligence in the area of Machine Learning for Natural Language Understanding.  She is often quoted as saying "From the Hood to the Hood" to acknowledge growing up in the "hood" in the inner city of Grand Rapids, Michigan to her academic achievement of being "hooded" during her Doctoral ceremony.  Her passion is to motivate,  inspire, train and assist others to achieve more than they ever thought they could.