Wayne Staats

About Wayne Staats

As a Software and Systems Engineer with nearly 20 years in the software development industry, I offer a unique combination of hardware, software, and systems experience. My focus has been on providing technical leadership in the architecture of complex systems and overseeing the development of hardware and software components. From an early age, I set a goal: to understand and build an entire computer from the ground up—chips, boards, and software. That passion guided my academic and professional journey, leading me to earn a double major in Mathematics and Computer Science, a Master’s in Computer Engineering, and a Ph.D. in Computer Science. Along the way, I found myself at IBM, contributing to the OS/2 kernel, and later at Microsoft, playing a role in developing a multi-protocol router.I always envisioned a career that combined technical mastery with mentorship, inspired by my undergraduate advisor and his influence shaped my desire to teach and coach others. While I never formally pursued coaching—despite being a collegiate Academic All-American and cross-country nationals’ qualifier—I found fulfillment in mentoring students in both research and industry settings.My career has taken me through different phases: early hands-on programming and contracting, academia where I researched metacognitive psychology in computer science education and AI applications in aviation, and later, consulting on cybersecurity, autonomous systems, and networking solutions. Whether working with Flowers Chemical Labs on automated chemical analysis systems, Tapestry Solutions on international ground station development, or ESTS on information assurance for the Marine Corps, my approach has remained the same—apply deep technical knowledge with a relentless work ethic to solve complex challenges.Specialties: Information AssuranceCryptographic Engine Architecture and DesignCryptographic Subsystem Architecture and DesignSoftware Defined Radio Security ArchitectureNSA Type-1FIPS 140Common CriteriaNetworkingTCP/IP NetworkingIPSec/HAIPESecure NetworkingHeterogeneous NetworkingNetworked WaveformsMANET networkingSoftware DevelopmentObject Oriented design and analysisC/C++, Java, and C# design and developmentEmbedded Systems

Experience

1. Principal Staff Engineer

   Corelight

   Sep 2025 — Present

Education

• Westminster College (PA)

  Bachelor of Science - BS, Math and Computer Science

• North Carolina State University

  MS, Computer Engineering

  1986 — 1989

• North Carolina State University

  PhD, Computer Science

  1989 — 1997

• Westminster College (PA)

  BS, Math/Computer Science

  1983 — 1986

• North Carolina State University

  Master of Science - MS, Computer Engineering

Skills

• Program Management
• System Architecture
• Software Development
• Systems Engineering
• Information Assurance
• Integration
• Embedded Systems
• Dod
• Software Engineering
• Networking