11 Grad Students Join CyberExL’s 2024 Cohort
April 5, 2024
![2024 CyberExL Cohort Images of students in 2024 CyberExL Cohort](/content/cci_research_vt_edu/en/cci-news/2024-news/11-grad-students-join-cyberexl-s-2024-cohort/_jcr_content/content/vtcontainer/vtcontainer-content/adaptiveimage.transform/m-medium/image.png)
Eleven graduate students from three Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI) schools — Norfolk State University (NSU), Old Dominion University (ODU), and William & Mary (W&M) — have been selected for the 2024 session of CCI Coastal Virginia’s Graduate Cyber Experiential Learning Program, CyberExL.
The project, led by Stephanie Blackmon, an associate professor at William & Mary, is an interdisciplinary experiential learning program that provides academy, non-profit, and industry placements for COVA region graduate students.
Students work 20 hours a week for 13 weeks and receive a $5,000 stipend paid incrementally across the semester.
“Experiential learning is an integral component of cybersecurity and technology talent development, as well as students’ overall learning and professional development,” said Blackmon. “CyberExL addresses these core areas and much more. We are so fortunate to have another wonderful group of graduate students and placement providers for CyberExL this year.”
“We are proud of the growth of the CyberExL program and all of the great work that the 2024 cohort of students and placement providers are currently doing,” said Brian Payne, COVA CCI Node director and vice provost for Academic Affairs at ODU.
Participants will work with cybersecurity companies and researchers virtually, in a hybrid model, or in person within the coastal Virginia region. Placement providers also serve as mentors for the students.
“CyberExL is an excellent example of how we can create meaningful cybersecurity and technology-focused opportunities for students through partnership and collaboration,” Blackmon said.
Students will work individually or as part of a team in such areas as:
- Cybersecurity and information systems research.
- Developing and implementing artificial intelligence (AI) solutions.
- Developing AI models based on federated learning or models for image analysis using Large Language Models (LLMs).
- Interdisciplinary work in law and computer science.
- Generative AI framework.
- AI and supply chains.
- Federated learning and health care.
- Deep-learning models and AI.
The 2024 cohort of CyberExL participants include:
![Hyacinth Abad of ODU Portrait of Hyacinth Abad of ODU](/content/cci_research_vt_edu/en/cci-news/2024-news/11-grad-students-join-cyberexl-s-2024-cohort/_jcr_content/content/vtcontainer/vtcontainer-content/vtmulticolumn/vt-items_0/adaptiveimage.transform/s-medium/image.jpg)
Hyacinth Abad is pursuing an M.S. in Computer Science at ODU and has a placement with Iria Giuffrida of William & Mary.
![Jelica Calderon of ODU Portrait of Jelica Calderon of ODU](/content/cci_research_vt_edu/en/cci-news/2024-news/11-grad-students-join-cyberexl-s-2024-cohort/_jcr_content/content/vtcontainer/vtcontainer-content/vtmulticolumn/vt-items_1/adaptiveimage.transform/s-medium/image.jpg)
Jelica Calderon is pursuing an M.S. in Cybersecurity at ODU and has a placement with Ricardo Ungo of ODU.
![Taylor Cannatell of William and Mary Portrait of Taylor Cannatell of William and Mary](/content/cci_research_vt_edu/en/cci-news/2024-news/11-grad-students-join-cyberexl-s-2024-cohort/_jcr_content/content/vtcontainer/vtcontainer-content/vtmulticolumn/vt-items_2/adaptiveimage.transform/s-medium/image.jpg)
Taylor Cannatelli is pursuing a J.D. at William & Mary and has a placement with Iria Giuffrida of William & Mary.
![Stephanie Cousins of Norfolk State Portrait of Stephanie Cousins of Norfolk State](/content/cci_research_vt_edu/en/cci-news/2024-news/11-grad-students-join-cyberexl-s-2024-cohort/_jcr_content/content/vtcontainer/vtcontainer-content/vtmulticolumn_1486011082/vt-items_0/adaptiveimage.transform/s-medium/image.jpg)
Stephanie Cousins is pursuing an M.S. in Cybersecurity from Norfolk State University and has a placement with Peng Jiang of ODU.
![Sabbir Ahmed of ODU Portrait of Sabbir Ahmed of ODU](/content/cci_research_vt_edu/en/cci-news/2024-news/11-grad-students-join-cyberexl-s-2024-cohort/_jcr_content/content/vtcontainer/vtcontainer-content/vtmulticolumn_1486011082/vt-items_1/adaptiveimage.transform/s-medium/image.jpg)
Sabbir Ahmed Khan is pursuing a Ph.D. in Computer Science from ODU and has a placement with Ravi Mukkamala of ODU.
![Shaun Liu of William and Mary Portrait of Shaun Liu of William and Mary](/content/cci_research_vt_edu/en/cci-news/2024-news/11-grad-students-join-cyberexl-s-2024-cohort/_jcr_content/content/vtcontainer/vtcontainer-content/vtmulticolumn_1486011082/vt-items_2/adaptiveimage.transform/s-medium/image.jpg)
Shaun Liu is pursuing an M.S. in Computer Science from William & Mary and has a placement with Md Shirajum Munir of ODU.
![Sravanthi-Proddatoori of ODU Portrait of Sravanthi-Proddatoori of ODU](/content/cci_research_vt_edu/en/cci-news/2024-news/11-grad-students-join-cyberexl-s-2024-cohort/_jcr_content/content/vtcontainer/vtcontainer-content/vtmulticolumn_148601/vt-items_0/adaptiveimage.transform/s-medium/image.jpg)
Sravanthi Proddatoori is pursuing an M.S. in Computer Science from ODU and has a placement with Md Shirajum Munir of ODU.
![Janelle Radcliffe of William and Mary Portrait of Janelle Radcliffe of William and Mary](/content/cci_research_vt_edu/en/cci-news/2024-news/11-grad-students-join-cyberexl-s-2024-cohort/_jcr_content/content/vtcontainer/vtcontainer-content/vtmulticolumn_148601/vt-items_1/adaptiveimage.transform/s-medium/image.jpg)
Janelle Radcliffe is pursuing a J.D. from William & Mary and has a placement with Daniel Shin and Chris Shenefiel of William & Mary.
![Manoj Bhargav Ram Ramineni of ODU Portrait of Manoj Bhargav Ram Ramineni of ODU](/content/cci_research_vt_edu/en/cci-news/2024-news/11-grad-students-join-cyberexl-s-2024-cohort/_jcr_content/content/vtcontainer/vtcontainer-content/vtmulticolumn_148601/vt-items_2/adaptiveimage.transform/s-medium/image.jpg)
Manoj Bhargav Ram Ramineni is pursuing an M.S. in Computer Science from ODU and has a placement with Michael Lapke of Christopher Newport University.
![Maliha Tabassum of ODU Portrait of Maliha Tabassum of ODU](/content/cci_research_vt_edu/en/cci-news/2024-news/11-grad-students-join-cyberexl-s-2024-cohort/_jcr_content/content/vtcontainer/vtcontainer-content/vtmulticolumn_148601_831587739/vt-items_0/adaptiveimage.transform/s-medium/image.jpg)
Maliha Tabassum is pursuing an M.S. in Biomedical Engineering from ODU and has a placement with Murat Kuzlu of ODU.
![Rachel Yim of William and Mary Portrait of Rachel Yim of William and Mary](/content/cci_research_vt_edu/en/cci-news/2024-news/11-grad-students-join-cyberexl-s-2024-cohort/_jcr_content/content/vtcontainer/vtcontainer-content/vtmulticolumn_148601_831587739/vt-items_1/adaptiveimage.transform/s-medium/image.jpg)
Rachel Yim is pursuing a J.D. and MBA from William & Mary and has a placement with Daniel Shin and Chris Shenefiel of William & Mary.