WESTBOROUGH – The MassCyberCenter at the MassTech Collaborative has selected the participants for the spring cohort of its Cybersecurity Mentorship Program, an effort that aims to increase diversity within the cybersecurity workforce in Massachusetts. A total of 25 undergraduate students from 14 different schools across the Commonwealth have been paired with 22 mentors from 14 different organizations.
This cohort of the Cybersecurity Mentorship Program expands upon the fall 2020 Pilot Program, which included 10 student mentees and mentors. The Pilot Program confirmed that mentorship from industry professionals can play a powerful role in encouraging diverse student talent to enter the cybersecurity profession. In Massachusetts’ technology and innovation ecosystem, which includes cybersecurity, only five percent of workers are Black, seven percent are Hispanic, and one-third are women, according to the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council.
Students will meet virtually with their mentor one-to-one throughout the Program to discuss cybersecurity careers and work together on a cybersecurity-related project. For their project, students may build, break, secure, and administer a virtual machine; evaluate a cybersecurity policy or procedure for a business; draft a policy recommendation for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; create or evaluate a cyber incident response plan, or develop a cyber education and awareness product. The program will conclude in mid-May 2021 with a showcase event where students present their completed projects.
The participants in the Cybersecurity Mentorship Program this spring are:
Students
| Frederick Anim-Amofa Assumption University |
Miranda Hill Bay Path University |
| Chantel Tetreault Bay Path University |
Le Nguyen Thi Bay Path University |
| Jamie Cores Bay Path University |
Ashley Franco Bay Path University |
| Mariana De Paiva Boston University |
Jahmel Wint |
| Mekiya Alemu Bristol Community College |
Laura Keefe Cape Cod Community College |
| Peter Kariuki Massasoit Community College |
Cynthia Muchugia Middlesex Community College |
| Samantha Wilks Mount Wachusett Community College |
Hava Kantrowitz |
| Jamal Adan Northeastern University |
Chad Toussaint Springfield College |
| Madeline McLaughlin Tufts University |
Skylar Gilfeather Tufts University |
| Sam Chung Tufts University |
Jose Fernandes |
| Christa Davis University of Massachusetts Lowell |
Jayla Galvez University of Massachusetts Lowell |
| Jovannie Velasquez University of Massachusetts Lowell |
Nathan Agyeman University of Massachusetts Lowell |
| Yorgo Kennos University of Massachusetts Lowell |
Mentors
| James Dinneen Chief Operating Officer Advanced Cyber Security Center |
Fabio Martins Research Information Security Office Mass General Brigham |
| Erik Burns Senior Security Solutions Engineer Rapid7 |
Garrett Gross Technical Advisor Rapid7 |
| Chris Schwarzer Security Architect athenahealth |
Andrew McDonald Security Solutions Architect Cisco |
| Jeffrey Gardner Practice Advisor, Detection & Response Rapid7 |
Richard Walzer Chief Information Security Officer Clean Harbors |
| Chris Frappier Senior Customer Success Manager Armis |
Marc Zissman |
| Thomas Hart President Cyber Guide |
Lodrina Cherne Principal Security Advocate Cybereason |
| Maggie MacAlpine Security Strategist Cybereason |
Sam Curry Chief Security Officer Cybereason |
| John Danahey Managing Partner Digital Tech Partners, Inc. |
Sonia Arista |
| Ariel Weintraub Chief Information Security Officer MassMutual |
Meghan Martinez Digital Forensics and Incident Response Lead MassMutual |
|
Jeff Gottschalk |
Brendon Chetwynd |
|
Dennis Ross |
Lloyd Evans Cybersecurity Engineer TDMK Digital |
On April 12, the mentors and mentees will gather for a one-hour webinar that focuses on the soft skills required for a career in the cybersecurity industry.
For more information on the Cybersecurity Mentorship Program visit: https://masscybercenter.org/mentorship.
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About the MassCyberCenter
The MassCyberCenter was launched in September 2017 with a vision to enhance opportunities for the Massachusetts cybersecurity ecosystem to compete as the national cybersecurity leader while strengthening the resiliency of the Commonwealth’s public and private communities. Learn more at masscybercenter.org.