Historic Achievement for Cybersecurity Students Burke, van der Meulen

WESTON, Mass. – Almost everyone relies on digital networks, whether they know it or not. With hacking incidents, including ransomware and other malicious acts, increasing and affecting more businesses every day, the need for cybersecurity expertise grows.

For Julia Burke (Barrington, N.H.), a member of the swimming and diving and women's lacrosse teams, and Mica van der Meulen (Colorado Springs, Colo.), one of this year's captains for the women's volleyball squad, the cybersecurity program at Regis College became a significant part of their academic progress for different reasons, but upon completion of their capstone project, they realized that they would become the first two females to graduate from the Regis cybersecurity program.

"I took networking/applications for some general education credits, and I found that I really enjoyed this course and looked into what Regis has to offer in addition to that one course," said van der Meulen. "Through a friend I found out about the cybersecurity program and, because I enjoyed the courses so much, by the end of my first year I declared cybersecurity as my second major along with business administration."

"I have always been drawn to how things worked, how things were connected, and how far the exponential reach of technology in modern society was. The cybersecurity program provided an opportunity to take a step into the ever-changing field that is full of complex problems involving technology and security measures," Burke said.

According to the Regis College website, the objectives of the cybersecurity program, a collaboration between the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and Humanities Departments, are to "increase knowledge of the social, psychological, ethical, and legal policies and requirements within the field of information assurance and cybersecurity; promote engaged understandings of the philosophical, historical, ethical, behavioral, technological, legal, and policy dimensions related to cybersecurity through the use of case studies; and integrate and apply technical knowledge and skills across students' interdisciplinary liberal arts and sciences curricula."

Burke and van der Meulen completed the necessary coursework, capped by a capstone project which involved the creation of an information security services provider company that would respond to a request for proposal from a state government for information security assessment services. They conducted a vulnerability assessment, security, and privacy gap analysis, and then they provided mitigation recommendations, a business impact analysis (BIA), a business continuity plan (BCP), a disaster recovery plan (DRP), and a layered security solution.

Of course, Burke and van der Meulen put that project together while keeping up with their other coursework and making significant contributions to their athletic teams. For van der Meulen, her final season of collegiate volleyball would result in 23 victories for the team and advancement to the semifinals of the GNAC Tournament. Burke, a three-time GNAC champion, was once again leading the Pride swimming and diving team in the breaststroke events as it completed the fall portion of the schedule with seven events from Oct. 9 through Dec. 4.

Both student-athletes have been high achievers throughout their time at Regis not only athletically but also academically. Heading into this year, they have maintained two of the highest grade point averages among Pride student-athletes, and they are each two-time Academic All-GNAC honorees, with Burke also receiving NEISDA All-Academic recognition six times.

Burke and van der Meulen are confident that, while they are the first two females to complete the cybersecurity program at Regis, there will be many more to follow them. According to van der Meulen, "there are incredible female mentors within the cybersecurity field, and the program at Regis has prepared me to become a mentor myself to future students."

"As the cybersecurity field is rapidly changing, Regis's cybersecurity program provides opportunities for young women to pursue their curiosity and passion within the field," added Burke. "It further allows young women to provide their diverse perspectives and voices in the field of study and industry, as well as become change-makers and innovators in the field."

For van der Meulen, the fall 2021 semester is her final one at Regis, as she has completed her bachelor's degree in both cybersecurity and business administration. She will begin work at a company she has been interning with since her first year at Regis, becoming a member of the security operations center and dealing with network monitoring, incident handling, and documentation creation.

Burke, also a double major with criminal justice joining cybersecurity, is planning on attending law school after graduating from Regis in the spring of 2022. She says that the cybersecurity program has "provided me with the technical, interpersonal, and critical thinking skills to be able to understand the complexities of technology, as well as begin to understand how the law and cybersecurity intersect to protect the nation's critical infrastructure."

More information about the cybersecurity program at Regis can be found at: https://www.regiscollege.edu/academics/majors-and-programs/cybersecurity-bs

Regis College sponsors 20 intercollegiate sports within NCAA Division III as part of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference.