Davenport University will welcome Mercedes Tunstall, J.D. as its fourth Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellow (WWVF) from March 18 to 21, 2019. As an expert in cybersecurity, Tunstall will be speaking to students, faculty, staff and the public on topics surrounding consumer privacy, financial regulation, virtual currencies and digital innovation.

The WWVF program – offered through the Council of Independent Colleges – brings prominent artists, diplomats, journalists, business leaders and other nonacademic professionals to campuses across the U.S. for substantive dialog with students and faculty members. Funding for the program is provided by a grant from the M.E. Davenport Legacy Endowment.

A graduate of DePauw University with an undergraduate degree in music, Tunstall went on to earn her J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School. She made her mark as a staff attorney at the Federal Trade Commission, where she investigated and litigated the commission’s first internet hijacking case.

As a partner at Pillsbury in Washington, D.C., Tunstall works closely with banks, nonbanks and fintechs on the development of new financial products and services. She also works with companies in a variety of industries on advertising, privacy and cybersecurity issues.

“I help financial institutions of all kinds innovate through mobile payments, social media, virtual currencies and blockchain technology,” said Tunstall. “I also have deep experience in providing privacy-by-design and security-by-design counseling to other industries.”

From March 18-21, students, faculty, staff and the public will have opportunities to engage with Tunstall at events on the W.A. Lettinga, Lansing and Great Lakes Bay (Midland) campuses.

Learn more about Mercedes Tunstall

Learn more about Mercedes Tunstall and read some of her blog posts here.