Voices From the Front Lines

Earning a degree from the Cyber Intelligence and Security (CIS) Department at Embry‑Riddle’s Prescott Campus means getting a trailblazing education and a range of opportunities to build real-world experience and establish direct connections with the industry’s top employers.

We have forged robust ties with government agencies, private companies and global aerospace leaders, helping to address their needs and creating employment opportunities for our students.

Our world-class outreach program is exemplified by the unique “capture-the-flag” competitions, which set a standard for educating the industry on aviation cybersecurity challenges.

Celebrating the 10th anniversary since its establishment in 2013, the CIS department has seen consistent growth in student enrollment, including a rising number of women, and has graduated over 200 students who are now making a difference and lasting impact across public, private and non-profit sectors.

But don’t just take our word for it. Check out what our current students, alums and industry partners have to say about how Embry‑Riddle provides the preparation that leads to challenging and rewarding careers in all areas of cyber intelligence and security.

What Do Industry Leaders Think of Embry‑Riddle’s Cybersecurity Programs?

Patrick Morrissey, senior technical fellow, Product Cybersecurity at Collins Aerospace, participated in one of our capture-the-flag (CTF) scenarios when Collins hosted a group of CIS students during a recent visit to Iowa.

“It was such an incredible opportunity for avionics engineers at Collins to spend time with the students from Prescott, showing them the kind of work we do, systems we develop, and learn about what they’ve been working on while trying to tackle aviation cyber challenges,” he said.

The Associate Director for Cybersecurity Engineering at Collins, Jason Schoenbeck, agreed.

“It was a mutually beneficial experience hosting the Embry‑Riddle Prescott students,” he said. “We were able to showcase what we do at Collins Aerospace, while the students, with their unique cybersecurity challenges, helped promote aviation cybersecurity awareness.”

Clay Lindwall, Vice President of Avionics Engineering & Technology, Collins Aerospace, summarized the experience by saying: “We had a great time celebrating Cybersecurity Awareness Month with CIS faculty and students from Embry‐Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott. Thanks for coming to Cedar Rapids and leading this fun cybersecurity capture-the-flag event. We appreciate your knowledge, and my team enjoyed sharing the Collins Aerospace story with you through the facility tour and great conversation.” 

Sandia National Laboratories recently visited the Prescott Campus to offer its Tracer FIRE (Forensic and Incident Response Exercise) 11 competition to 35 student teams from colleges in Arizona and Nevada.

The competition included a new scenario that involved multiple cyberattacks on a fictional water utility infrastructure company. Participants investigated these attacks using open-source hunting tools and techniques, determined precisely what occurred and made recommendations to the company on how to remediate such attacks in the future.

The Embry‑Riddle teams took the top three spots in the contest.

“As always, Embry‑Riddle’s students continue to impress the Tracer FIRE team,” said Tyler Morris, a cybersecurity researcher with Sandia National Laboratories. “We are excited to engage with these students and look forward to seeing them grow in their professional careers.”

Setting the Bar in Capture-the-Flag Competitions

In partnership with The Boeing Company, MITRE and Embry‑Riddle’s Center for Aerospace Resilient Systems (CARS), the Prescott CIS department has also hosted CTF events in the 2023 and 2024 ACI Cyber Rodeo events at the Daytona Beach campus. Apart from the CTF, these include technical briefings, demonstrations, and a student-recruiting event supported by industry and government aviation cybersecurity experts and leaders.

“We are honored to host the ACI Cyber Rodeo, which offers a chance for industry and government partners engaged in aviation and aerospace cybersecurity to interact with our faculty and students in an open, educational forum,” said Embry‑Riddle President P. Barry Butler, Ph.D.

“The ACI Cyber Rodeo is a gathering focused on enhancing cyber resilience and mitigating risks within the nation’s aviation ecosystem,” said Dr. David Hopfe, research development coordinator. “This event brings together a diverse community dedicated to safeguarding the aviation industry from cyber threats.”

This year’s event paired CARS together with industry partners to showcase the emerging aviation cyber research talent being fostered at the university’s Daytona Beach and Prescott campuses, while collaborating to reduce cybersecurity risks to global aviation operations.

“The CTF events provide hands-on experience and teamwork that is hard to replicate elsewhere,” said Randy Talley (’87), an Eagle alumnus who is now the Department of Homeland Security Lead for the Aviation Cybersecurity Initiative. “Teammates needn’t all be experts because there are members with various skill sets that, when combined, can provide the team with the knowledge necessary to accomplish the mission.”

What Are Students and Alumni Saying About Cybersecurity Education at Embry‑Riddle?

Justin La Zare ('25)

“In my role as a co-project lead on an aviation cybersecurity Capture-the-Flag competition, the CIS department has provided our student team with the space and equipment critical to developing our project,” said Justin La Zare (’25), one of seven National Science Foundation CyberCorps® SFS Scholars from the CIS department.

Set to begin an internship at a federal agency this summer, Justin also said, “The CIS department fosters innovation for students by giving us access to the resources that allow us to explore, experiment, and develop products with real-world cybersecurity applications.”

Nathan Johnson ('24)

“The CIS department provided me unique, collaborative, hands-on, interdisciplinary student project opportunities. It provided me access to facilities equipped with tools, parts, and CIS faculty oversight. It is an ideal environment for training CIS students like me to engage in innovative work,” said Nathan Johnson (’24), who will be interning at Collins Aerospace this summer. “I get to work out and build a cutting-edge flight simulation environment that will be used to assess pilot cyber readiness. I get to engineer an avionics test platform that explores aircraft cyber vulnerabilities. Not many institutions offer such student growth opportunities in an undergraduate-level cybersecurity program!”

Amalie Hansen ('24)

“The undergraduate program in Cyber Intelligence and Security at Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University has been an excellent fit for my journey as a female in cybersecurity,” said Amalie Hansen, who, as a Department of Defense Cyber Scholarship Program (DoD CySP) scholar and a Prescott campus Chancellor’s Award recipient, has accepted a position with the Department of Defense. 

“My time at Embry‑Riddle has allowed me to take comprehensive cybersecurity core classes and participate in industry-relevant cybersecurity research projects while simultaneously enhancing my leadership skills as President of the Women in Cybersecurity club on campus," Amalie added. "The hard and soft skills gained from this program have given me a competitive advantage in securing scholarships and internships, ultimately resulting in a full-ride scholarship, multiple internship offers and a guaranteed job upon graduation. In an industry known for its male workforce, the CIS department has played a vital role in ensuring that I, alongside my peers, receive the necessary support to thrive and be successful in our future careers.”

Victoria Plinski ('24)

Victoria Plinski, also an NSF CyberCorps SFS Scholar, will start her job with a national lab after graduation.

“Embry‑Riddle’s CIS program has been instrumental in shaping my future career goals by providing me with a fantastic scholarship and opportunities to work and intern with various Department of Energy facilities,” Victoria said. “The blend of theoretical knowledge, practical skills and the ability to work with so many fantastic individuals, both faculty and students, has positioned me to make meaningful contributions to the ever-evolving landscape of cybersecurity.”

Victoria and Amalie will follow a distinguished group of alumni already establishing their careers on the cutting edge of cybersecurity.

Elizabeth Chwialkowski ('23)

“Being part of the undergraduate cyber program was an incredible experience, and truly helped to shape my path moving into my future career, opening the door to opportunities I never would have known existed,”  said Elizabeth Chwialkowski, also a DoD CySP scholar who works for the Department of Defense. “Outside of classes, being part of different clubs and research opportunities in the department was invaluable in showing me what areas of cybersecurity I was most interested in.”

Tianna Sardelli ('23)

Tianna Sardelli now works at a federal agency and says Embry‑Riddle “provided me with an extremely beneficial pathway, helping me develop the necessary skills for a career in cybersecurity. My minor in Security and Intelligence Studies further prepared me more specifically, and the SFS Scholarship supported these programs by opening doors in the intelligence community for a relatively seamless transition into the workforce.”

Nathan Fuentes ('22)

Nathan Fuentes is among those focused on protecting the cyber ecosystem that powers modern aviation, and he credits his education with opening the door to a role at Collins Aerospace.

“The program combined my passion for aviation with my interest in cybersecurity and allowed me to develop a unique set of skills that are increasingly desirable in the aviation industry,” Nathan said.

Ethan Nadzieja ('22)

Ethan Nadzieja landed at The Boeing Company and agreed with Nathan.

“Embry‑Riddle’s transformative cybersecurity program provided me with rewarding academic and professional opportunities on campus and after graduation,” Ethan said. “From theory to application, the comprehensive curriculum has equipped me with foundational cybersecurity skills. Embry‑Riddle provides an unmatched combination of expertise and dedication toward helping current students grow into future industry leaders.”