07/19/2024
As Cohort 6 comes to a close, I would like to take a moment to reflect on the activities of our WiCyS Student Chapter this year and express my gratitude for the opportunities afforded to us. This cohort program was founded in 2018 by our chapter advisor, Pam Schmelz. The chapter first began in 2019 and had its initial spin-up in 2021 but remained inactive for about 2 years until our current cohort, the largest one so far, had enough women enrolled in it to fulfill all officer positions and actively lead a Student Chapter. Around 23 students out of 50 opted to join the chapter at the beginning of the cohort, with more who chose to participate in club activities later on.
Unfortunately, with how rigorous the cohort's curriculum is, we weren't able to coordinate many chapter activities during its duration. The highlight was Purdue University's CERIAS Conference that 12-13 of us attended mid April. Our Chapter members were able to be in the presence of respected industry professionals and postdoctoral researchers during the 2 days of the symposium, and witness insightful panel talks and research presentations on various subjects in cybersecurity. Several of our members were able to interact and network with the recruiters and other individuals in attendance.
I hope that in the years to come, this Chapter can continue to be a valuable resource to aspiring cyber professionals in Ivy Tech/MUTC's cohort program and empower tech-savvy women to make the most of their talents in security.
Tam
Cohort 6 Chapter VP
