Dr. Tonya Fields is the Founder and CEO of Connected Compass, an organization with goals to motivate,
inspire, and empower college students with funding support, confidence, and skills needed to launch
successful careers.

 

Tonya is a U.S. Navy Veteran with 25 years of service, retiring as an Information Systems Technician
Master Chief. Her friends and family take pride in referring to her as “Dr. Master Chief”. Her military
background helped to develop her into a compassionate leader with a strong sense of empathy and
compassion for others. She is authentic, engaging and sincere. She holds a Bachelors  and Masters
Degree in Computer Science from Norfolk State University and a Doctorate in Professional Studies in
Computing from Pace University in New York. She serves as an Adjunct Professor and Cybersecurity
Researcher at Norfolk State University. 

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Her research interest has focused on machine learning for natural language understanding used to build artificial intelligence large language models.  She is often quoted as saying,  "From the Hood to the Hood" to acknowledge her journey from growing up in the "hood" in the inner city of Grand Rapids, Michigan, to her academic achievement of being "hooded" during her Doctoral ceremony. 

Dr. Master Chief is a devoted wife of 21 years, mother of 6, and grandmother of 9. She invests in the
community through her partnership with Melody Matthews and Associates, a real estate company
dedicated to helping people find their way home and beyond.

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