Senior Law & Policy Analyst
(202) 481-3045 | ecornelius@law.umaryland.edu

Ellen Cornelius joined the University of Maryland Center for Health & Homeland Security in April 2008. Previously, Ms. Cornelius was selected for the Attorney General’s Honor’s Program. She lived in Houston, Texas and was the law clerk to six judges in the Executive Office for Immigration Review. From 2005 to 2006, she worked as the law clerk to the Honorable John W. Debelius, III of the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, Maryland.

Ms. Cornelius teaches in the Master’s of Science in Law program at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law. She teaches Ethics in Law and Public Policy residentially and online. Additionally, she teaches Legal Methods both residentially and online.

Ms. Cornelius’ work with CHHS has focused on addressing the needs of vulnerable populations before, during, and after a disaster. She has expertise in planning and cybersecurity. She has graduated from the following courses: National Planners Course, Homeland Security Exercise Evaluation Program, Continuity of Operations Planning, Continuity Cyber Awareness, and Cyber Leaders Course. Ms. Cornelius participated in a panel at CyberMaryland 2017 regarding election security, and she published “The Continuing Battle over Privacy vs. Security” in the October 14, 2015 Domestic Preparedness Journal. In addition, she published “Chinese Hackers and their new Target–Federal Employees” in the Fall 2014 edition and “What’s the Big Hurry: The Urgency of Data Breach Notification” in the Fall 2018 edition of U.S. Cybersecurity Magazine.Ms. Cornelius has expertise in planning and cybersecurity. Her work with CHHS has focused on addressing the needs of vulnerable populations before, during, and after a disaster. She has graduated from the following courses: National Planners Course, Homeland Security Exercise Evaluation Program, Continuity of Operations Planning, Continuity Cyber Awareness, and Cyber Leaders Course.

For the past five years, Ms. Cornelius has been an adjunct professor at University of Maryland Carey School of Law. She developed and teaches Law & Policy of Cybersecurity. In addition to teaching, she published “The Continuing Battle over Privacy vs. Security” in the October 14, 2015 Domestic Preparedness Journal. Also, she published “Chinese Hackers and their new Target–Federal Employees” in the Fall 2014 edition of U.S. Cybersecurity Magazine.

Ms. Cornelius is a member of the Maryland bar. She received a JD from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law in 2005 with honors and a BA from Wake Forest University in Political Science in 2001 with honors. Ms. Cornelius’ interest in sheltering was sparked by a year of AmeriCorps service through the Jesuit Volunteer Corps in San Diego, CA. A native of Darnestown, MD, Ms. Cornelius now resides in Chevy Chase, MD.

Examples of Projects include:

• DC Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency—Regional Plans, Sheltering and Evacuation Plans, Presidential Inauguration Support
• Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program—Business Emergency Management Operations Center
• MD Department of Health and Mental Hygiene—Hospital Exercise, Resource Management Plans, Recovery Plan