Purcell Runs the MC2 Playbook with Precision and Passion

Maryland Cybersecurity Center (MC2) coordinator Dana Purcell is as skilled at orchestrating the center’s complex playbook of daily operations as a football quarterback is at directing a winning game plan.

Since joining MC2 in 2015, Purcell has been a linchpin in its operations, ensuring that the center—recognized as one of the nation’s leading cybersecurity hubs—functions smoothly and efficiently.

Her role is as multifaceted as it is essential, encompassing responsibilities from managing purchasing and reimbursements to coordinating travel for faculty, students, postdocs and visitors.

Purcell also plays a key role in organizing office space for graduate students, interns and postdocs, making sure that everyone—from newcomers to core faculty members—is provided for. Additionally, she oversees MC2-sponsored meetings and events and administers travel and seed grant awards, which are distributed twice a year.

Before coming to MC2, Purcell built a career as a pediatric occupational therapist, a role she held for 15 years. Her transition to higher education administration brought her to institutions such as George Washington University, Marymount University and eventually the University of Maryland.

Initially, Purcell viewed her position at MC2 as a steppingstone to a more student-focused role at UMD. But she says the collaborative and supportive environment she found at MC2 and the University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies (UMIACS), which provides substantial technical and administrative support to MC2, changed her perspective.

“I love the people I work with in UMIACS and MC2 so much that I can no longer see myself leaving here,” she says.

Purcell’s enthusiasm for her work is palpable, and she speaks highly of MC2’s leadership, including Michelle Mazurek, the center’s director, and Emily Hartz, the executive director of administration and operations for UMIACS. She describes them as some of the most talented and supportive leaders she’s worked with.

This admiration is mutual, with Mazurek acknowledging the significant impact of Purcell’s hard work.

“Dana is absolutely critical to the success of MC2—she keeps everything running smoothly,” says Mazurek. “She does all this with a positive outlook and caring approach that makes everyone in MC2 feel welcome. We would be lost without her.”

Purcell’s enthusiasm and attention to detail extends beyond her professional life into her personal interests.

Several years ago, she earned a brown belt in karate, but an injury led her to focus on fantasy football instead, which has become a significant part of her life. Her dedication to the sport is evident through her extensive following of NFL games, engagement with fantasy football podcasts, and active participation in leagues with friends and colleagues. Her deep knowledge of the game, including details like who the third string running backs and back-up tight ends are on every team, has become a source of amusement and admiration among her peers.

This year, Purcell took her love for fantasy football to a new level by starting a league for UMIACS and MC2, bringing together staff, faculty, students and alumni.

“I’m hoping to spread my love for fantasy football to others who might not even particularly like football,” she says.

Purcell’s commitment to the sport is so strong that she humorously notes that if she ever leaves MC2, it might be to pursue a full-time career as a fantasy football analyst—a true testament to her dedication and enthusiasm.

“Believe it or not, there are a plethora of people out there making a living out of analyzing and talking about fake football,” she jokes. “Having only three years of experience playing, I'm clearly a long way off from that level of expertise. It can be my retirement dream.”

—Story by Melissa Brachfeld, UMIACS communications group