(ISC)²^® and the Center for Cyber Safety and Education awarded eight women scholarships to help support their undergraduate and graduate cybersecurity studies. (ISC)²’s sponsorship with the Center is part of a broader initiative to grant cybersecurity opportunities for women and girls.

“By 2022 the cybersecurity workforce gap is expected to hit 1.8 million – it’s a source of continued frustration that women still comprise only 11 percent of positions in the industry,” says (ISC)² CEO David Shearer. “We simply have to do better. Women offer a diverse set of skills needed to build robust organizations and are well-equipped to solve the industry’s greatest challenges. We are dedicated to fostering opportunities for women and girls to contribute to and build a career in a dynamic, growing field.”

The recipients of this year’s scholarships include:

Saleema Adejumo, master’s student in security and risk management at University of Leicester, UK

Jan Buitron, doctorate of computer science student at Colorado Technical University, US

Valerie Chen, undergraduate student in computer science at Yale University, US

Mudita Khurana, master’s student in information security at Carnegie Mellon University, US

Ai Nguyen, undergraduate student in electrical engineering and computer science at University of California Berkley, US

Avanthika Ramesh, undergraduate student in electrical engineering, computer science and business administration at University of California Berkley, US

Serita Sergent, undergraduate student in cyber security, computer science at New York University, US

Susan Wanja, master’s student in cybersecurity technology at University of Maryland University College, US

The Center and (ISC) ² have granted scholarships to 34 women since 2011 and grants $175,000 in undergraduate and graduate cybersecurity scholarships annually to qualified applicants. To learn more, please visit https://iamcybersafe.org/scholarships/.