Terra Cooke

Network Security

UAT Graduate 2010

Internal control assurance processes and procedures, security governance, risk and compliance… these are a part of Terra’s daily life. With a career in IT advisory and consulting services, Terra has worked everywhere from the Department of Defense Information Assurance Certification (DoD DIACAP) and Federal Information Systems Control Audit Manual (FISCAM) to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA).

Because of her passion for security efforts, Terra is constantly improving her skills, education and opportunities. University of Advancing Technology (UAT) prepared Terra for her dynamic career in cyber security. Classes like Legal Issues in Technology and Identity Access Management gave her the knowledge foundation she needed to be successful in this career path.

Talking on compliance, Terra says, “Compliance is not a static word, and it takes a dynamic spirit to keep all the wheels turning.

Are you interested in a career in network security? Learn more about UAT’s Cyber Security degrees.

Have you run into this orange feline before? Max, the campus cat, is commonly seen prancing through the Quad. Because of his frequent visits, students decided to adopt him! Max loves lounging around in the grass, rolling in the gravel and following students for belly rubs and savory treats.

Next time you cross paths with Max, don’t forget to pet him and give him some love.

Candace Dodson

Major: Master of Science in Cyber Security

From the start, Candace has been interested in technology because of all the possibility it poses. Coming from the healthcare industry, Candace has first-hand experience with protecting private information for patients and healthcare providers. Wanting to grow and looking for some change, she decided to head back to school to pursue a Master of Science in Cyber Security.

Candace is excited to be going back to school, and says, “I have a lot to learn, but I’m hooked. It’s an exciting field.” She is eager to gain skills in detecting and analyzing data with defense implementation.

Candace has a yearning to constantly learn and University of Advancing Technology (UAT) encourages her to create and grow within her education. When she is not in school, Candace loves hiking and hanging out with her children, husband and dogs. Candance is inspired by her brother, Casey, who had always supported the underdogs and believed that you can’t live life in fear.

Malik Shaw

Major: Bachelor of Arts in Game Design

Since he was a child, Malik loved creating things. He started out building Legos and experimenting with chemistry, now he wants to create worlds within games. Malik is fascinated with how quickly technology advances, especially when comparing what was considered high-tech as a child to how rapidly technology changes now.

UAT stood out to Malik because of the degrees offered and the type of students that attend the school. Malik is a board, video and card game enthusiast, so being surrounded by people of similar interests was very important to him. Being encircled by technology-wired people lends to learning something new with every interaction.

Malik has many fond memories of playing game with his family and those games are what have inspired him to study gaming. He reflects, “Playing games, like Super Smash Bros. 64, for the first time with my dad and brothers made me want to create that same feeling of fun and enjoyment for someone else.”

Zachary Oberan

Major: Bachelor of Science in Business Technology

Zachary has always been interested in business. He would like to become a successful entrepreneur and views technology as a way to get there. His interests may not lay with hacking or coding, but he’s keen to start adapting business processes to technology.

Zachary found UAT through family friends and is constantly impressed by the wealth of knowledge he encounters when interacting with his teachers and peers. At UAT, Zachary feels that everyone wants him to succeed. Aside from business courses, he is looking forward to taking a few of the audio and visual classes UAT offers.

Zachary is inspired by legends like Nigo, Tyler the Creator and George Miller. These men have motivated him to pursue making beats, manipulating audio and running a successful business intertwined with music. Zachary believes Tyler the Creator “really just gave the people a different kind of music to listen to. It inspires me to put work into something new every moment of every day.”

University of Advancing Technology (UAT) boasts of many interesting clubs, including Kendo Club! Kendo is a type of traditional Japanese martial art that originated from swordsmanship. Through the combination of physical activity and teachings of self-restraint and discipline, students learn the basics of swordplay and respect for the opponent. Practices are every Friday night and comprise of activities such as defending against a constant attacker, armored first strike and verbal lessons.

Kendo is unique in the way that each practitioner develops their own style of swordplay. The current Kendo instructor, Allison, says, “You could spend your entire life training in one style, and when you get to a competition, you will fight somebody you’ve never seen before, and you have to learn to adapt to how they fight.”

Check out all the clubs UAT has to offer, and don’t forget to join friends at the Kendo club on Fridays.

Innovation is dripping from every corner at University of Advancing Technology (UAT), so it’s not surprising that the residence hall features five different Think Tanks. Congregate and create new friendships in the Think Tank closest to you. With technology at every student’s fingertips, it’s no wonder innovations to improve the world are constantly being discovered. AT UAT, students have the freedom to be visionaries to explore and test the unknown.

Are you interested in becoming a student where innovation is central to curriculum? Apply today!

Camaraderie between teachers and students is huge at University of Advancing Technology (UAT). This is especially evident in the Commons, where students and teachers alike join study parties, collaborate on projects and run scrum sprints.

The Commons also hosts student tutors to help on a variety of subjects, like robotics and digital video. When you’re looking to meet up with classmates or need extra help with a subject, check out the Commons!

We're serious about advancing technology and innovation. Get a better feel for our campus through our fly by drone tour or our live web cam feed. Don't forget to schedule a tour of our campus to see students at the heart of innovation for yourself.

University of Advancing Technology (UAT) students love bonding over food. From roasting hotdogs with knives to using chopsticks in untraditional ways, students are always coming up with innovative ways to prepare food. Whether it’s for a laugh or a cuisine craving, the kitchen is where the party is at! Join fellow dormmates and friends for chips and salsa or hand-tossed pizza. Good friends = good food.

Founder’s Hall is the center of UAT’s vibrant Residence Life Community. Situated right on campus, Founder’s Hall is just one minute across the quad from your classes and is the perfect complement to the UAT classroom experience. Make new friends and surround yourself with technology, innovation and learning. Join other UAT students in a unique living experience in Founder's Hall.

University of Advancing Technology (UAT) students love having breakfast together. One fan-favorite show, The Price is Right, draws everyone around the waffles. Socialize with your classmates and show off your market pricing knowledge when you “come on down” to breakfast.

Don't forget to set up your meal plan! Pick a plan that's tailored to your hunger needs—whether you're a Rookie or Grand Master, the UAT Cafe is here for you to feast.

Transform The Digital Age

Businesses of all shapes and sizes rely on digital and social media to connect with customers. University of Advancing Technology's (UAT) Digital Marketing bachelor's degree combines technology skills with marketing, target awareness and messaging in a field that is both analytical and creative.

As a digital marketer, every day is new and unique. Businesses, marketing agencies and startups are in dire need of those who have mastered the combination of digital marketing, web analysis, online advertising, campaign management and optimization and social media engagement. Today, consumer habits rely heavily on online purchasing, product news, daily shopping, dining and the need for digital marketing, web and social media skills outweighs the number of people with this combination of skills currently in the job market.

Students will learn digital advertising, SEO, mobile marketing and other technology-centric marketing topics. UAT prepares digital marketing students with the skills to build campaigns inside agency production environments.

Digital Marketing Degree (BS)

• Be able to lead the development of digital marketing campaigns and manage their performance
• Create responsive content that grows audiences and nurtures awareness for a company
• Be able to work with the dominant and emerging digital advertising platforms
• Change and optimize searches and platforms to stay ahead of shirting consumer patterns
• Design digital marketing strategies to align a brand's message, connect to audiences and influence purchasing decisions
• Learn how to work in an agency environment
  
  

Career Choices

> CRM and Email Marketing Manager > Digital Marketing Analyst > Digital Agency Account Analyst > Social Marketing Manager > Digital Marketing Manager > Search and SEO Manager

TRANSFORM THE DIGITAL AGE

University of Advancing Technology (UAT) was founded on the basis of creating an institution to incubate and train individuals to become leaders in technology.

For over 35 years, UAT has continued to evolve, grow and move right along with high-paced technology fields that have been created out of necessity and demand. UAT's innovative degrees are at the forefront of the revolutionary age with degrees in Cybersecurity, Virtual Reality, Artificial Intelligence, Game Production, Software Engineering, Robotics and more.

Having the background as an intimate, private university with high-tech education, UAT built its curriculum, state-of-the-art campus and patent pending Synchronic Learning model to provide an education framework that prepares superior graduates to become tomorrow’s innovators.

That's why today UAT is proud to announce three new degree programs that were created out of industry demand and new business growth seeking digital warriors.

  Advertising Art (BA)

 Data Science (BS)

  Digital Marketing (BS)

UAT's new programs are now available online and on-campus. Individuals interested in attending can click here to learn more.

Some can be nervous and intimidated while others are poised to learn and soak in the knowledge of great leaders. It was the latter that set me on a mission to meet with University of Advancing Technology President and CEO Jason Pistillo. First I had to figure out how to even contact the president of my university and how could I get an opportunity to soak in the knowledge and leadership skills straight from the source? I knew it had to be in person, not by email or by phone -- I also knew it was going to be a daunting task but I was determined to make it happen.

President Pistillo was my first choice. I had never met him, but I hear almost daily from my peers student coworkers that he is a great leader. I made the decision promptly to talk to my Student Careers Manager to help me set up an appointment in person with President Pistillo. Sometimes this situation can seem intimidating, but I knew I could learn so much from him and provide others with advice and information that I had to pursue it.

First Impressions

My first impressions of President Pistillo was a sense of leadership but also humility. He had an aura of power but also very humble with a willingness to listen. He started by setting a clear outline of the time put aside for the interview. He then began with history, leadership skills and his team, all information I soaked in. I learned so much from just the interaction alone I could go on and on about it.

Leading with Confidence

Leaders have always been the backbone to our societies and provide a working social dynamic. President Pistillo went over how he runs the school, how he handles being a leader and having people look to him for guidance. One specific area that really caught my attention was when I asked what he considers leadership clothing. He responded by talking about confidence in oneself. Confidence in what you want to wear, how you want to look is what makes a leader different in the clothes he wears. To side note this he also mentioned that reputation plays a big part of respect.

I learned that confidence in oneself is a large factor in being a leader. If someone does not know themselves, how are they going to understand others? This confidence is built through mastering skills, connections and personal thought. He mentioned that meditating over actions that you have made over the day and thinking over how it could have been handled better is a great step in improving areas of concern.

People Skills

He also went over that the skills he can provide to others is one reason he is in the position he is in. Every individual has skills that are useful and these skills can be improved, expanded and honed. Something that sets someone like President Pistillo apart is the skills he provides to his team but also the skills his team brings to him.

Success & Appreciation

We went over other content involving scheduling which was very intriguing and not something many people talk about. He spoke about how he schedules certain days for certain activities all day. One day he might have interviews and meetings scheduled only for that day and all day that day. The next day he might have a project he wants to work on that day and he only does that project on that day. Creating goals and planning for a successful day will result in success.

Showing others appreciation and how you care by helping and acknowledging people's success is a large portion of being a leader. President Pistillo went over how showing people that you notice the accomplishments or success they have achieved really shows you care for people as an individual and a leader. A leader cannot be a leader if they are alone, they need a team that they can work with every step of the way.

Falling on the sword

He mentioned that sometimes a leader has to make decisions that many people are not on board for. Some of these decisions have to be made or would otherwise yield possible repercussions or better results for the company, individual, or team. A leader has to fall on the sword and accept the impact and repercussions of every decision made whether it is good or bad.

A Moment to Remember

My experience in this endeavor was a moment at UAT that I will always remember. When pushing to further your knowledge and skills one will find unsuspected surprises along the way. This has served as a good step in furthering my pursuit of leadership and information and portraying that information to others. From day one, UAT has engraved the leadership spirit and mentality in my education, and this was an amazing example of that value UAT provides.

-Andrew M.

Physicist, engineer, inventor and honorary father of geeks – Nikolas Tesla was famous for numerous inventions but most notably the first alternating current (AC) motor and developed AC generation and transmission technology. According to the History Channel, “Though he was famous and respected, he was never able to translate his copious inventions into long-term financial success—unlike his early employer and chief rival, Thomas Edison.”

According to Wikipedia, “Born and raised in the Austrian Empire, Tesla received an advanced education in engineering and physics in the 1870s and gained practical experience in the early 1880s working in telephony and at Continental Edison in the new electric power industry. He emigrated in 1884 to the United States, where he would become a naturalized citizen.”

Tesla’s engineering successes and pitfalls were all a part of the process of being a true inventor. Much like the students at UAT, Tesla learned from his mistakes and took the learnings from his predecessors to build a lifetime of work. Here at UAT, the next generation of technology innovation begins the day students set foot on campus at the University of Advancing Technology. This technology college offers a technophile’s dream environment where innovation and passion for advancing technology are synthesized with the best of faculty and technology resources.

UAT’s innovative degrees such as Robotics, AI, VR, Game Design and Programming, Network Security and Business Technology are the stepping stones for future innovators. As they continue down their path at becoming the next fathers and mothers of innovation, we remind everyone this Father’s Day to honor the dads in their life and the inventors before them, because without them we’d still be stuck on rotary phones and wired technology.

Happy Father’s Day, from UAT.   

Creation of the U.S. Army 

On June 14, 1775, the Second Continental Congress formed the Continental Army under the command of George Washington. Today, we honor the men and women who dedicate and sacrifice their lives to the United States Army by celebrating its 244^th year old birthday.

The service, dedication and sacrifices made by the men and women serving our nation in the United States military are recognized by University of Advancing Technology. Whether you are active duty, a reservist or a veteran, UAT provides a variety of program offerings, learning options and financial aid opportunities that support you in achieving your educational goals in a way that meets your needs.

We appreciate the sacrifices our veterans, service members and their families have made for our country. UAT was founded by a military veteran in 1983. Our military student support services, online degrees and policies are aligned to the unique needs of our veteran and military students.

Advance your civilian career, complement your military skills or pursue a fresh path in advancing technology. Whichever path you choose, UAT is committed to your success.

FAST FACTS

• UAT maintains ongoing relationships with several U.S. government organizations as a Center of Academic Excellence as designated by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security
• UAT’s Synchronic Learning provides an education framework embodying UAT’s methodologies, curricula and people dedicated to fostering an environment of innovation that promotes demonstrated mastery and job readiness.
• UAT is a member of the Arizona Veterans Association
• UAT is proud of its designation as a Military Friendly School
• An integral component of Synchronic Learning is SyncFlex, a flexible learning approach that provides real project experience for busy adult students.
• GI Bill®* and Yellow Ribbon approved
• UAT has dedicated staff and resources that will allow you to work through the application, admissions and enrollment processes, as well as help you find available funding for your education

* GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Army Veteran Spotlight

OLENA BURNESS

UAT GRADUATE, NETWORK SECURITY AND TECHNOLOGY FORENSICS

Originally from Poltava, Ukraine, Olena Burns majored in both Network Security and Technology Forensics. She came to the U.S. as a teenager and joined the army after high school, which helped pay for her UAT education. "UAT is very military friendly," she says. "I really appreciate the support I received. I’ve got to say, I love this school, the tools it’s provided me and the knowledge I've accumulated. I recommend this school to anyone who is excited about learning and can take a concept and run with it."

When asked how UAT is different from other technology colleges, Olena replies:

Leading-edge industry knowledge taught by the best. UAT’s Tech Forensics and Network Security programs are probably the best in the state because of the instructors. They are working in the field while they teach so you're always learning what’s really out there. One of my professors has even been an active member of the DEFCON Community for 17 years. No other college, in my opinion, offers that high level of faculty interconnectivity.

I’m a hands-on learner, which is also why I love UAT and would recommend it to those who may have different ways of learning. It’s personalized, and everything you learn offers a way to develop a project hands on or with a virtual machine to get it to actually physically work. UAT also opens doors to opportunities. I was selected as a volunteer for Black Hat, and got to attend DEFCON as well. When our UAT group was tasked with hacking the electronic badges for DEFCON, I was the first to do it. My instructor was so proud of me but not as proud as I felt about myself and what I accomplished.

Source: https://www.uat.edu/military

Source: https://nationaltoday.com/army-birthday/

Source: https://www.military.com/army-birthday

The University of Advancing Technology has been named the small/medium Businesses of the Year by the Greater Phoenix Chamber during the 32^nd Annual IMPACT Awards Luncheon held Thursday, May 23 at the Sheraton Grand Phoenix.

Small/Medium Business of the Year: University of Advancing Technology

“Arizona’s tech community is so important for the growth of the state,” said Dr. Dave Bolman, Provost, University of Advancing Technology. “As the only technology university in Arizona, we’re so honored to be recognized for our life’s work in innovating higher education for the betterment of our community.”

The two companies were selected out of eight local companies which are recipients of the Chamber’s IMPACT Awards, honoring the accomplishments of small and large Valley businesses and the positive influences they have on the business community and economy.

“This year’s IMPACT Award recipients illustrate the strong economic momentum in our city. They embody innovation, business acumen, and community giving,” said Greater Phoenix Chamber President and CEO Todd Sanders. “These organizations make an impact in our community every day and will continue to be stalwart leaders as our city moves forward as a national and global leader.”

Follow this link to watch a brief video highlighting each IMPACT Award recipient.

Large Business Category (More than 250 employees):

2019 Arizona Advocate – Lyft

2019 Community Champion – CopperPoint Insurance Companies

2019 Economic Driver – Fry’s Food Stores

2019 Exceptional Innovator – Barrow Neurological Institute

Small to Medium Business Category (250 employees or fewer):

2019 Arizona Advocate – Desert Botanical Garden

2019 Community Champion – Elontec

2019 Economic Driver – University of Advancing Technology

2019 Exceptional Innovator – Urbix Resources LLC

Photo : Dr. Dave Bolman, Provost, University of Advancing Technology, Monica Garnes, President, Fry’s Food Stores

Photo 2:  Todd Sanders, President & CEO, Greater Phoenix Chamber, Jason Pistillo, CEO, University of Advancing Technology, Dr. Dave Bolman, Provost, University of Advancing Technology, Monica Garnes, President, Fry’s Food Stores, Todd Kammeyer, VP of Merchandising, Fry’s Food Stores

###

About the Greater Phoenix Chamber

Representing 2,400 businesses across the Greater Phoenix region, the Greater Phoenix Chamber promotes regional prosperity by serving as a catalyst for economic vitality and strong communities. The Chamber pursues this mission by collaborating with business, political, and community leaders to grow the regional talent pool, create a regional approach to economic development and drive a pro-Arizona agenda.   

The Animation Career Review has been researching and ranking the nation's top schools for aspiring animators and game designers since 2012. UAT's Bachelor of Arts in Game Design is ranked in the top 20 game design BA programs nationally, top 10 in the Southwest and #1 in Arizona.

The goal of the Animation Career Review is to "give students and their parents access to ample information so they can make an informed decision about the school they choose to attend and the program they pursue."

The criteria for the rankings encompasses:

• Academic reputation
• Admissions selectivity
• Depth and breadth of the program
• Value as it relates to tuition and indebtedness
• Geographic location
• Employment data

One of UAT's top game design grads is 2018 alumnus Eric Fernald, who landed his dream job and bought his dream car immediately after he graduated. Eric works as a game scenario designer at CGI, where he works with the latest software and hardware in game development such as VBS3 and Unreal Engine 4 to create training video games, battlefield visualizations and battle scene reenactments for the United States military.

      Eric Fernald's Demo Reel

"I choose UAT because of the intimate campus setting and constant addition of new technologies on campus," Eric said. He cites hands-on classes such as Game Production Studio, tough-love professors like Matthew Marquit and solid support from the Career Services team as reasons for his success. 

UAT game design alumnus Tyler Feddeler recently landed his first job at a AAA studio as a lighting artist at 343 Industries, where he works on a little game called Halo. Even though his degree is in game design, Tyler got to take art and animation classes during his time at UAT too. It took him a while to discover his niche in lighting, but once he did, he went all in on it. 

Electronic Arts (EA) assistant producer Brandon Kidwell graduated from UAT with his bachelor's degree in game design in 2013. He has worked on multiple AAA titles, including the mobile game Madden NFL Overdrive. He built the 2018 Madden Feast program, which lead to high player sentiment and one of the highest revenue days of the year. 

Want to be like Eric, Tyler and Brandon? Check out our Game Design program today!

On May 2nd, President Trump signed the Executive Order on America’s Cybersecurity Workforce, recognizing the country’s information security professionals as a “strategic asset that protects the American people, the homeland, and the American way of life” and recognizing the need to enhance the mobility and professional development of the cyber workforce across the United States.

“With the right kinds of protections and the correct ability to respond when things do go wrong, a strong cybersecurity workforce reduces risk, fear and uncertainty in the world allowing for better global interaction and business expansion,” said Dr. Greg, Miles, University of Advancing Technology Cybersecurity Program Champion and Peak Security Principal.

                              UAT Cybersecurity Professor Dr. Greg Miles

The cybersecurity workforce protects the critical infrastructure of worldwide assets in important industries such as power, water, transportation and defense. Furthermore, a strong economy occurs when citizens feel like things are moving in the right direction. “If the organizations that are protecting our critical data and access are successful in doing that, there is a better sense of peace and prosperity,” Dr. Miles said.

To strengthen the federal cybersecurity workforce, the Executive Order tasks the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to establish a cybersecurity rotational assignment program to “serve as a mechanism for knowledge transfer and a development program for cybersecurity practitioners.”

“The key for success of this program will be a well-defined set of criteria and training that personnel passing through the program will experience, plus resources to continue to develop after the individuals have gone back to their own agencies,” Dr. Miles said. Since many organizations rely on contract employees to support their cyber programs, DHS will also have to consider how contract personnel will be integrated in the program.

The program will use the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education Cybersecurity Workforce Framework (NICE Framework) as the basis for cyber skill requirements of program participants. To ensure consistency, the program will also “incorporate the NICE Framework lexicon and taxonomy into workforce knowledge and skill requirements used in contracts for information technology and cybersecurity services.”

“The NICE Framework is a ‘nice’ way to visualize an educational program that supports the goal of creating a skilled cybersecurity workforce,” Dr. Miles said. “UAT’s goals go beyond those requirements, by producing superior graduates that have shown demonstrated mastery, innovation and career readiness,” he added.

UAT cybersecurity faculty and curriculum developers map course content to match the NSA/DHS Center of Academic Excellence – Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) and NICE Framework requirements to show support and alignment with federal and industry needs and standards.

Do you want to join America’s cybersecurity workforce? Check out our cyber degree programs in Network Security, Network Engineering or Technology Forensics.

The University of Advancing Technology is gearing up to host another CodeDay, a worldwide, 24-hour event that brings student programmers, artists, designers, musicians, actors and learners together to build apps and games. The fun begins at noon on May 25th and ends at noon on the 26th.

Students of all skill levels are welcome. CodeDay hosts workshops and connects students with mentors to help them bring their ideas to life.

CodeDay

Why host CodeDay at UAT? "UAT's mission is aligned with CodeDay's mission: to give the next generation of technical and creative minds the opportunity to hone their skills, learn something new, and apply it to a real project," said Caitlin Derr, CodeDay Phoenix organizer and InfoArmor security analyst.

Do you want to help students fall in love with coding? Sign up as a volunteer today!

"Professionals have the opportunity to inspire the next generation of creators. You can take an idea and break it down into steps the team can follow to make it a reality. Share your skills building and designing, writing code, testing and debugging, and most important: problem-solving," Caitlin said.

Are you ready to take your coding skills to the next level and prepare for a future-proof career as a programmer? Check out UAT's Advancing Computer Science degree program. 

University of Advancing Technology May 2019 honorary doctorate recipient Dr. Rebecca Wynn likes to go fast. As the Head of Information Security and Data Protection Officer (DPO) at Matrix Medical Network, Dr. Wynn leads the overall security strategy, security architecture development and security programs. She is always working on multiple projects at the same time, finding new ways to leverage cutting-edge risk management tools, machine learning and artificial intelligence to narrow the gap between a specific event detected on the network and first responders receiving actionable data.

                          Dr. Rebecca Wynn 

But she doesn’t always get to go fast. It took her more than six months to get her first job in cybersecurity. When a friend told her about a possible position opening up, Dr. Wynn reached out to the director of information security at that company. She had to keep in touch for several months until the job finally opened up. Then she went through a lengthy interview process and made it on a short list of potential hires.

During that waiting period, Dr. Wynn spent her time learning and studying everything about the industry and information security. “I wanted to be ready to be a corporate asset immediately,” she said.

Women have a long road to climb in the cybersecurity world, and Dr. Wynn doesn’t see that changing anytime soon. That’s why she recommends that women stay on their A game because certain people will always be looking and waiting for their female colleagues to fail.

In order to get infosec jobs, women have to apply for them. Dr. Wynn has noticed that women routinely do not apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. Men, on the other hand, “just go for it.” Dr. Wynn wants more women to do and think the same. “Stick to your dreams and go for them. Good things will follow with confidence,” she said.

What if you’re a student and not exactly sure what you want to do or how to find a job? Dr. Wynn has some homework for you. “Find out what sector energizes you and keeps you interested,” she said. Make a short list. Then reach out to alumni, members of the cybersecurity community or professionals who work at your target companies in your target positions. Try to set up 30-minute calls or meetings with at least five different people to get as much knowledge as possible. “Follow up with a thank you email, and always keep in contact,” she added.

Everybody makes mistakes and encounters people they don’t particularly like throughout their careers. Dr. Wynn makes mistakes daily, and working with people who aren’t “type A go-getters” can be challenging for her. “The goal is to keep level headed and treat everyone with the same respect and professionalism,” she said.

Dr. Wynn’s favorite part about her job is being able to go home at the end of the day and knowing that she made a difference. She believes that talents develop naturally when they are nurtured, so she recommends seeking out companies that appreciate hard work and talent and offer the opportunity to move up. “Never settle for not being the best you can be,” she said. Dr. Wynn sure doesn’t.

Do you want to become a cybersecurity thought leader like Dr. Wynn? Check out our network security degree program today!

We need more women in tech because we need more people in tech. Arizona has 7,000 unfilled cybersecurity jobs. The U.S. has hundreds of thousands of vacant technology jobs, which cost the economy billions of dollars. So, how do we attract more female computer scientists, data analysts, software engineers and infosec professionals?

Communicating the value and need for soft skills in STEM fields might convince some women who feel like they don’t have a natural talent for technology to consider careers in tech. “I think some women see STEM careers as being more about hard math and science than the current and future reality of tech jobs being more about creativity and collaboration,” said Dr. Dave Bolman, the University of Advancing Technology provost and member of the Arizona Technology Council board of directors.

Journalists, politicians and CEOs often lament the shortage of skilled technology workers. But in reality, a large contributing factor to the tech talent shortage is a lack of soft skills such as communication, teamwork, creativity, organization and flexibility.

The All-Female Cybersecurity Council of Arizona Board

“Thanks to socialization, women often have an already-developed-and-tested ability for understanding things from someone else’s perspective, predicting needs and working in teams,” said Haylee Mills, a senior cybersecurity engineer at Charles Schwab and the director of workforce development for the Cybersecurity Council of Arizona. “All of these things are what a DevOps methodology attempts to foster by focusing on user stories, how to develop for the user and how to do that as a team,” Haylee said.

Emphasizing soft skills upfront in technology job descriptions and the hiring process can attract more women to technology jobs, but in order to retain them, employers need to recognize their contributions. “I know many talented women who would thrive in tech who have just never been given credit for their ability to troubleshoot, organize and solve problems,” Haylee said.

Another way to attract and retain top female tech talent is to “focus on building things that people and communities value and make the world a better place for everybody,” Dave said. If research indicates that women naturally gravitate toward careers that help people over careers that work with things, then showing them how technology improves people’s lives can help peak their natural interests. Companies can also do more to bridge the gap between the people who make technology and the end users.

UAT Digital Media Professor Dapzury Valenzuela

University of Advancing Technology Professor Dapzury Valenzuela also points to a lack of female mentors accessible to young girls. Organizations such as Girls in Tech Phoenix are helping bridge the gap with formal mentorship programs and fun mentoring meetups. “There are also a lot of co-working spaces advocating for more female entrepreneurs such as Co+Hoots Founder Jenny Poon,” Dapzury said. “These cohorts and collaborative spaces are helping to foster awareness and providing education to aspiring and established entrepreneurs alike,” Dapzury added.

People—young girls included—like and remember stories. “One way to get girls excited about tech is to share stories of women like Marion Croak, who invented VOIP and holds more than 135 patents, and Lisa Gelobter, who invited animation on the Internet,” Dave said.

We need more buy-in from teachers, principals and parents for extra-curricular activities in STEM. “The more we can join forces with academia, industry and parents, the better prepared our students will be when entering the workforce,” Dapzury said. Haylee also suggests reaching out to and collaborating with high school girls who have "an affinity for art, anime and gaming." 

That’s why Dapzury helped launch Immersive Teaching STEAM Academy (ITSA) that teaches young girls and boys 3D modeling, robotics, game development, VR and coding through a fun and exciting project-based learning model. “When you expose children to hands-on STEM activities at an early age, they are more likely to connect those learning outcomes to possible career paths in tech,” she said. 

We’re headed in the right direction. “There is a large amount of talent in women, who may not have originally thought of tech or cybersecurity careers as an option, trying to reskill right now,” Halyee said. And every time Dave attends a middle school robotics competition, overnight game jam or science fair, he notes “at least half of the participants are energetic girls with confidence and great ideas.”

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