CCI Impact Award Winner

George Mason University’s Gisele Stolz won the prestigious CCI Impact Award, which was announced at the symposium. Gisele is the director of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programs at Mason. 

Gisele’s leadership in developing and expanding the cybersecurity startup internship program, along with her work on the Commonwealth Cyber Incubator + Accelerator Program (CCI+A), have had a direct impact on Virginia’s innovation ecosystem. Her dedication and enthusiasm in helping students and startups is inspiring. Read more.

Symposium Best Poster Winner

We had 44 posters at the CCI Symposium last week. Students presented compelling research. A judging panel found one stood out due to its “perfectly executed” presentation, requiring “painstaking data collection and analysis.” 

Kaushal Kafle won the CCI Symposium Best Poster Award for his poster “Understanding the Privacy Practices of Political Campaigns: A Perspective from the 2020 US Election Websites.” He is a PhD student in the Department of Computer Science at the College of William and Mary. Well done Kaushal!

Virginia Cybersecurity Challenge Winners

Winning teams from Virginia Commonwealth University and Virginia Military Institute have begun the final commercialization phase of the Virginia Cybersecurity Challenge. 

CCI partnered with US Ignite to launch a gated, four-phase innovation challenge in May 2021. The challenge began with six teams in 2021 with the ideation phase, moving through subsequent stages including prototyping, development and finally, commercialization.

The final teams are:

ElectroDefense created a multifunctional coating that can provide high-frequency electromagnetic radiation shielding and passive thermal management to prevent electromagnetic sabotage of wireless components. The startup was founded by Radhika Barua, assistant professor, mechanical and nuclear engineering; Rodney Davis, mechanical engineering with a minor in general business and mathematics, graduating 2025; and Mac Salter, electrical engineering, senior.

Network Sense offers a web-based modeling and analytical environment for running network dynamics and predicting the spread of malicious behaviors and computer viruses on communication networks. Incorporated in April 2023, the company was founded by Sherif Abdelhamid, Virginia Military Institute assistant professor, computer science; Tanner Mallari, computer science 2022 graduate; and Kolby Quigg, computer science major, graduating 2024. 

Read more about the teams and program.

Friends of CCI Project-based Learning Program

We’re excited to announce a new program that connects companies with students for project-based learning opportunities. We’re kicking off the Friends of CCI Program by partnering with CACI to offer experiential learning opportunities to students enrolled at Northern Virginia Community College. 

If you're interested in seeing this program at your school or sponsoring such a program at your company, please contact Sarah Hayes at sshayes@vt.edu.  

Clearance Preparedness Program

Security clearances can boost your career. CCI’s online program gives you all the details about what to expect and how to prepare for the clearance process. About 100 students are currently participating in CCI’s Clearance Preparedness Program. The session on May 24 offers a deep dive into the legality of drug use, specifically how it relates to security clearances.