research

Rung by rung, graduate students climb toward cybersecurity careers

The Commonwealth Cyber Initiative in Southwest Virginia creates “ladders” in the form of research and innovation-focused programs to help graduate students pursue careers in cybersecurity.

Kelly Izlar

16 Feb 2024

A game board in the style of the Chutes and Ladders. The bottom left block reads "First Day" with arrows that lead a player to the ladders spread across the board which are labeled "CCI Student Researcher Showcase," "CCI Symposium," "CCI Innovation Scholars Program," International Conferences," "Internships," and "CCI Graduate Student Summit." The final box on the upper right is labeled "You did it/up next..." — Southwest Virginia students in security-related fields are climbing their own routes into the cybersecurity workforce with help from Commonwealth Cyber Initiative programs and resources. Graphic by Kathy Acosta for Virginia Tech.

Graduate school can feel like a game of Chutes and Ladders.

Many Southwest Virginia students in security-related fields are lapping their peers by engaging with Commonwealth Cyber Initiative programs that provide ladders toward future careers.

“The Centre for Quantum Technologies is definitely one of the places where I’d like to continue my research after my Ph.D.,” said Akshay Bansal, a graduate student in computer science who spent three months researching with a quantum information theory group in Singapore. “My dream job would entail a balance of research and teaching, which I think are two sides of the same coin.”

Bansal was among the first cohort of the Cyber Innovation Scholars Program , which is now accepting applications for a second year. Many of the program’s participants capitalized on the initiative's whole scaffold of resources to secure internships, publish papers, and present at conferences.

Ladder 1: Early spring

The Student Researcher Showcase, which will take place on March 22 this year, is an opportunity for students to present their ongoing cyber-related research projects to a room of professors, industry professionals, and students from institutions across Southwest Virginia.

“I met a lot of people who were passionate about what they do at last year’s showcase,” said Julia Shapiro, a graduate student in mathematics. “It covered the wide spectrum of Commonwealth Cyber Initiative security research.”

Ladder 2: Mid spring

Many students who participated in the showcase, including Shapiro, went on to present their research projects at the statewide Commonwealth Cyber Initiative Symposium in Richmond a few weeks later.

Ladder 3: Late spring

In partnership with Virginia Tech’s LAUNCH: Center for New Ventures, the CCI Cyber Startup Lab guides graduate students and postdocs through some of the critical issues to consider before creating a startup.

“I learned that the university can help you transform research into practical technologies and systems, making a positive impact on people’s lives,” said Shiva Acharya, an electrical and computer engineering graduate student. “The program was quite comprehensive on how to get help.”

In addition to the information, participating students received a $2,000 professional development award.

Ladder 4: Summer

While Bansal used the award to support his experience at the Centre for Quantum Technologies, Acharya and Shapiro traveled to international conferences and presented on research that was later published.

“Being able to get to these conferences, especially early in your graduate studies, lets you advance toward your goal faster,” said Shapiro. “You meet people at these conferences and learn about new opportunities. There’s a lot of things I wouldn’t have been able to do if it hadn’t been for the innovation fund.”

Ladder 5 : Mid fall

Shapiro expounded upon her security-related research at the Graduate Student Summit early in the fall, and took home the award for Most Astute Presentation.

At the event, Acharya and Bansal also delivered 10-minute talks and received real-time feedback from faculty members and other student researchers.

Acharya, who was awarded Most Technically Enlightening Presentation, appreciated the chance to learn more about other people’s work.

“I really liked the summit because we rarely have the chance to learn about what other students are doing, and knowing this — hearing what they’re doing to improve cybersecurity from mathematics or the business side — can affect the work we do in our labs,” said Acharya.

End game

By making good use of Commonwealth Cyber Initiative resources, student researchers are crafting their own routes into the cybersecurity workforce while helping other cybersecurity student researchers find their footing — and avoid the chutes.