In Memoriam: Nataliia Polyakova, IT Educator

It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Nataliia Polyakova, a highly respected educator and passionate advocate for information technology and cybersecurity education.

For more than 20 years, Nataliia was the driving force behind the Cisco Networking Academy at Zaporizhzhia National University, where she served as its head and lead instructor. Through her tireless efforts, countless students gained essential knowledge and practical skills in computer networks and cybersecurity. Many of these students have gone on to build successful careers in IT.

In her later years, Nataliia continued to share her expertise internationally, teaching at the University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszów in Poland. Her commitment to education transcended borders and languages.

Nataliia was also a valued member of the Linux Professional Institute (LPI) Learning Materials team, where she contributed to making technical education more accessible by translating Linux courses into Ukrainian. Her work played a crucial role in supporting open source education in Ukraine.

Nataliia will be remembered not only for her professional achievements but also for her warmth and dedication and for the inspiration she offered to students and colleagues alike. Her legacy lives on in the knowledge she shared and the community she helped to build.

She will be deeply missed.

Serhii Dziuba for the Learning Materials Team