April 3, 2020

This paid piece is sponsored by Dakota State University.

CybHER at Dakota State University has seen a dramatic increase in the number of women studying cybersecurity at DSU.

Seven years ago, CybHER formed and has stayed true to its mission to empower, motivate, educate and change the perception of girls in cybersecurity.

It is through introducing girls to hands-on activities and sharing the exciting opportunities of the field that perceptions and statistics are changing.

With only 24 percent of women making up the cybersecurity field, it’s now more important than ever for young women to have access to educational resources that empower them in cybersecurity.

And that’s exactly what Dr. Pam Rowland and Dr. Ashley Podhradsky, faculty members at Dakota State University, have been doing since 2013.

“We stay ultra-aware of opportunities that we can provide for students in a field where they are needed. When we encounter an opportunity or a need, we take steps to address it in a positive manner,” said Rowland, assistant professor of cybersecurity and director of the CybHER Institute.

To address these needs, the pair sparked a conversation around the low number of females in their cyber classes. That conversation soon grew into what is now a nationally recognized organization – CybHER ™.

One step at a time, one success at a time evolved into a full-fledged, year-round engagement program for middle school girls.

Rowland and Podhradsky were awarded grants to support their initial efforts. Support came from the American Association of University Women, which supported classroom visits; the National Center for Women and Information Technology, which sponsored an award ceremony; and the National Security Agency and the National Science Foundation, which supported camps.

Long-lasting impact and support have been received from sponsors SBS CyberSecurity, AT&T, SDN Communications, Sanford Health, Interstates, Citi, First Bank &Trust and Great Western Bank.

“We had such a strong demand for CybHER events that it quickly exceeded our capacity,” Rowland said.

For the first several years, Rowland and Podhradsky visited classrooms and fulfilled visits by themselves. Later, they solicited volunteers to help with the outreach events. In 2019, they obtained funding to hire an outreach team, which elevated the program even further.

“It is through our outreach team and volunteers that CybHER is able to make an even larger impact,” said Podhradsky, associate dean of The Beacom College of Computer and Cyber Sciences and associate professor of digital forensics.

CybHER was never envisioned as a one-time event. Rowland and Podhradsky recognize the power of connections and staying connected. Their goal is to provide a continuous program where individuals can stay connected throughout the year. Programs and resources can be found at CybHER.org.

One mission, one vision, tremendous outcomes

“We wrote our mission statement seven years ago and have not deviated from it. We are passionate about empowering girls to explore cybersecurity and to be a part of the solution to this critical need,” Rowland said.

Rowland and Podhradsky know that you can’t be what you can’t see, so they invite high-profile women to the Dakota State University campus to share their contributions to the field of cybersecurity.

Over the past few years, students have been introduced to Diane Janosek, commandant for the National Cryptologic School at the National Security Agency; Cynthia Hetherington, founder and president of the world-renowned open source intelligence investigative agency the Hetherington Group; Dr. Heather Wilson, former secretary of the Air Force; Liza Mundy, New York Times best-selling author of “Code Girls”; and Jenn Henley, former director of security at Facebook.

CybHER also takes a group of 20 collegiate CybHER club members to Women in CyberSecurity each spring for networking and education. This is sponsored through the SBS CyberSecurity outreach challenge, where DSU students volunteer over 900 hours introducing girls to cybersecurity.

“We believe in education, primarily hands-on education, as the instrument to light the flame of learning and desire for more knowledge. We want girls to know they belong in this field; women in this profession are thriving,” Podhradsky said.

With over 130 events in the past seven years, CybHER has reached over 20,000 young women in middle and high schools.

But the impact of CybHER doesn’t stop there. These events are what inspire, motivate and encourage young women to continue exploring the field well into collegiate programs.

In fact, from the fall of 2013 to the fall of 2019, The Beacom College at DSU has seen a 595 percent increase in women studying undergraduate degrees in computer science, cyber operations and network security.

Both Podhradsky and Rowland now have former CybHER participants enrolled in collegiate programs. They first met these students in middle school classrooms several years ago.

“Seeing students we met in middle school classrooms volunteer to mentor current middle school girls is incredibly rewarding. We have closed the mentoring life cycle,” Podhradsky said.

This rise has impacted DSU’s cyber programs by sparking better classroom discussions, improving learning environments and creating lifelong relationships between students and faculty members.

“I love this field. It’s challenging, rewarding and incredibly exciting. Being able to show girls what the field is while supporting them on their journey is so rewarding,” Podhradsky said.

The CybHER programming is not the only in-demand aspect of the program.  The founders have been around the country giving keynote addresses and leading discussions on ways to increase female participation in cybersecurity.

So what’s next for women in cyber at DSU and the CybHER Institute?

“The sky is the limit when we empower, motivate and educate young women in cybersecurity. We will continue to provide them with resources and encouragement. They are the future; they will determine what’s next,” Rowland said.