Internship Fair

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cci-internship-fair-tickets-135744053117

If you registered but didn't receive a confirmation email, please contact Kendall Beebe at kwbeebe@vt.edu and she will pass along a new calendar hold.

10:00 a.m - 10:55 a.m. Business Connect 

• Business Connect is an opportunity for employers to network with program leaders to learn more and potentially partner to source interns for their organization.

11:00 a.m. - 11:55 a.m. Keynote and Leadership Panel

The Keynote Speaker

• Luiz DaSilva, Commonwealth Cyber Initiative Executive Director, will deliver the welcoming keynote. In the Leadership panel, organization and company leaders will discuss traditional and alternative paths to internship opportunities in Virginia within industry, government, academia, and startup programs. Program leaders will highlight their organization or institutions' open opportunities.

The Leadership Panel

• Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)
  • Jennifer Jones, Student Programs Manager
• NextUp Solutions/Exelaration Center
  • Steve Cooper, CEO & Founder
  • Matt McHugh, VP of Mentorship & Growth
• MITRE
  • Dan Woolley, Strategic Partnerships & Programs
• Qualcomm Government Technologies
  • Jim Mollenkopf, Vice President, Strategic Development
  • Kelly Lyndon, Senior Director, Engineering
  • Darrell Carbajal, Senior Staff Engineer
• Virginia Space Grant Consortium & Commonwealth STEM Industry Internship Program
  • Debbie Murray, Manager, Internships and Research Experiences
  • Jasmine Porter, CSIIP Program Specialist
  • Nicole Shaw, CSIIP Program Coordinator
  • Scott Bellows, CSIIP Technical Programs Coordinator
• Cyber Startups: Pilot Program for Novel Experiential Learning (George Mason University & Marymount University)
  • Gisele Stolz, MEC Business Accelerator Director, GMU
  • Diane Murphy, Director, School of Technology and Innovation, Marymount University

11:55 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Sip, Snack, & Stretch Break

12:00 p.m - 1:00 p.m. Breakout Sessions with Companies and Organizations

• There will be five breakout rooms and students can choose up to three rooms within the hour – visiting each room for 20 minutes. Breakout sessions include Q&A.
  • Industry 1: NextUp Solutions/Exelaration Center
    • Steve Cooper, CEO & Founder, Exelaration Center
    • Matt McHugh, VP of Mentorship & Growth, Exelaration Center
  • Industry 2: MITRE
    • Dan Woolley, Strategic Partnerships & Programs, MITRE
  • Industry 3: Qualcomm Government Technologies
    • Jim Mollenkopf, Vice President, Strategic Development, Qualcomm
    • Kelly Lyndon, Senior Director, Engineering
    • Darrell Carbajal, Senior Staff Engineer
  • Government: Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) & Idaho National Laboratory
    • Jennifer Jones, Student Programs Manager, CISA
    • Meg Duba, Senior Technical Recruiter, National and Homeland Security Directorate, Idaho National Laboratory
  • University Programs: Cyber Startups - Pilot Program for Novel Experiential Learning (George Mason University & Marymount University) & Virginia Space Grant Consortium & Commonwealth STEM Industry Internship Program, also known as CSIIP (ODU)
    • Gisele Stolz, MEC Business Accelerator Director, GMU
    • Diane Murphy, Director, School of Technology and Innovation, Marymount University
    • Debbie Murray, Manager, Internships and Research Experiences, ODU
    • Jasmine Porter, CSIIP Program Specialist, ODU
    • Nicole Shaw, CSIIP Program Coordinator, ODU
    • Scott Bellows, CSIIP Technical Programs Coordinator, ODU

No! This event is free to attend.

Advice for students - have your camera on, dress professionally, show interest, participate and ask questions.

Students can expect an informational panel that will make up of industry, government, academia, and startup leaders, and they will share an overview of their internship programs. Then, students will have the opportunity to join each breakout session to learn more about available internships and ask program leaders questions.

Yes, we encourage participants to wear business formal for the internship fair. Even if you are targeting companies that are casual (e.g.  start-up or tech), still wear a professional outfit in line with recommendations. Professional, neat dress helps to communicate that you are serious about the organization and the possibility of working there.

Yes, students are encouraged to submit questions prior to the fair for speakers to answer, please submit questions to Kendall Beebe at kwbeebe@vt.edu

Example questions

• What do you look for in resumes/a candidate?
• As a freshman, I have some time to plan ahead. Would you be able to recommend any skills I should develop to be attractive to your field?
• What types of projects do interns work on at your organization?
• Can you tell me about your hiring timelines for internship and/or full-time positions?

If an employer is sharing his/her contact information, you should send a thank you email within 24 hours of the fair. Follow up on any information requested, or ask a follow up question if you have one, and reference something specific in your conversation to jog his/her memory about you. If you ask a question and don’t hear back, it is appropriate to send a follow-up email after two weeks. Even if you don’t receive a response, sending a thank you message is an important part of your interaction.

• Copy of your resume
• List of questions and quick pointers about each organization
• Pen and paper to take notes about the employers you meet with during breakout sessions
• Water bottle or glass of water – stay hydrated.

With a mission of research, innovation, and workforce development, the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI) focuses on the intersection of security, autonomous systems, and data. Funded by the Commonwealth of Virginia, CCI is a highly connected statewide network that engages institutions of higher education, industry, government, and nongovernmental and economic development organizations. CCI’s network includes 39 higher education institutions and 320 faculty members as well as more than 20 industry partners. CCI was established in the 2018-20 Virginia budget with an investment of approximately $20 million annually from 2020 and beyond. Follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Thanks for your interest! Please contact Kendall Beebe at kwbeebe@vt.edu to get involved.

Please email Kendall Beebe at kwbeebe@vt.edu.

CCI will post a recording of the panel, which you can watch on CCI’s YouTube channel.