Homeland Security Opportunities for Student Workforce

Homeland Security Opportunities for Student Workforce

Homeland Security Professional Opportunities 2024Want to learn more about the US Department of Homeland Security and the research the agency and component agencies do while enhancing your research skills and career goals?

The Homeland Security Professional Opportunities for Student Workforce to Experience Research program is now accepting applications for internships starting in the summer of 2024.

  • Want to learn more about the US Department of Homeland Security and the research the agency and component agencies do to enhance your research interests and career goals?
  • Interested in learning from top scientists and subject matter experts in homeland security related areas?
  • Seeking to network with your peers and members of the academic and scientific communities in government facilities conducting research in DHS relevant areas?

If you answered “Yes”, to the above questions, the HS-POWER program is for you!

  • The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate Office of University Programs sponsors the Professional Opportunities for Student Workforce to Experience Research (HS-POWER) Program for undergraduate and graduate students.
  • HS-POWER is open to students majoring in a broad spectrum of homeland security related science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines as well as DHS mission-relevant research areaswhich includes social sciences.
  • As a participant in the HS-POWER Program, you will participate in quality research experiences with federal research facilities and other DHS-STEM focused entities nationwide. You will establish connections with DHS professionals that facilitate long-term relationships between yourself, researchers, DHS personnel and research facilities, giving you a competitive edge as you move forward toward your career.

Click HERE for the Application

Benefits

  • Stipend: Undergraduate students receive $750 per week and graduate students will receive $950 per week.
  • Travel: A total of $1,000 travel reimbursement for inbound and outbound expenses for participants who live more than fifty miles, one-way, from the assigned hosting site, and who are paying for housing onsite is available.
  • Housing Allowance: A housing allowance of $400/week is provided to participants whose home of record is more than fifty miles, one-way, from their assigned hosting facility, move onsite for the duration of their appointment, and are paying for housing while onsite. Alternatively, for those whose appointment is 100% virtual, a $50 virtual allowance will be added.

Appointment Details

  • Appointments will be for 10 consecutive weeks during the months of May-July. Factors such as class schedules, housing availability and facility schedules may be taken into consideration when determining appointment start and end dates.
  • Interns will be assigned to research projects and/or other technical activities under the guidance of a DHS mentor.
  • An appointment involves daily participation at the host facility with the HS-POWER participant in residence at the specified location. Virtual appointments may be available for some appointments.
  • HS-POWER participants are required to have health insurance coverage during the appointment period and to provide proof of this coverage prior to the start of the appointment.

Nature of Appointment

Participants will not enter into an employee/employer relationship with ORISE, ORAU, DHS, or the hosting facility. Instead, participants will be affiliated with ORISE for the administration of the appointment through the ORISE Letter of Appointment and Terms of Appointment.

How to Apply

A completed application consists of:

  • A completed Zintellect Profile
  • A completed Application which contains:
  1. An Interest Essay:

The essay includes questions specific to the program addressing each of the following topics:

  • Personal Motivation for applying
  • Career Goals
  • Research Interests and Relevance to DHS Research Areas
  1. Transcripts/Academic Records:
  • Unofficial transcripts or copies of the student academic records printed by the applicant or by academic advisors from internal institutional systems may be submitted with the application.

o   Transcripts/Academic records must include name of the academic institution, name of the student, completed/in progress coursework and grades. Documents must have all social security numbers, student identification numbers, and/or dates of birth removed (blanked out, blackened out, made illegible, etc.) prior to uploading into the application system.

  • Copies of official transcripts will be required if an appointment is offered.
  1. Letters of Recommendation:

You are required to request recommendations from a professional who can speak to your academic record and potential for success in an appointment as indicated by academic accomplishments, as well as communication and teamwork skills. Recommenders will be asked to complete a recommendation in Zintellect.

  • Recommendations submitted via email will not be accepted.
  • You are solely responsible for following up with your recommenders to ensure timely completion.

All documents must be submitted via Zintellect. All application components must be received in the system to be considered. For more information, contact us at dhsed@orau.org.

Connect with ORISE…on the GO!  Download the new ORISE GO mobile app in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store to help you stay engaged, connected, and informed during your ORISE experience and beyond!

Qualifications

To be considered, applicants must meet each of the following criteria:

  • Be a United States (U.S.) citizen as of the application deadline. Evidence of U.S. citizenship must be submitted to ORISE at the time appointment is accepted.
  • Be 18 years of age or older by desired start date.
  • Have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher on a 4.00 scale.
  • Be majoring in a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) field which includes social sciences, with interest in homeland security research as described in the DHS Research Areas.
  • Be interested in pursuing long-term career goals aligned with the DHS mission and objectives.
  • Can obtain and maintain the required security clearance to access hosting facility.
  • Meet one of the following conditions:

o   Full-time enrollment as a freshman, sophomore or junior undergraduate student at a U.S. accredited 2-year or 4-year college or university during the 2023-2024 academic year.
o   Full-time enrollment as a senior undergraduate student at a U.S. accredited 4-year college or university during the 2023-2024 academic year and plans to be enrolled as a graduate student at a U.S. accredited college or university for Fall 2024.
o   Full-time enrollment as a graduate student at a U.S. accredited college or university during the 2023-2024 academic year, and plan to continue enrollment in Fall 2024.

Additional Information

  • For students enrolled at a 2-year institution during the 2023-2024 academic year: Internship assignment is contingent on the student providing proof of application to a 4-year institution at the time appointment is accepted. Proof of enrollment in the 4-year institution for fall 2024 will be required upon appointment.
  • For undergraduate seniors graduating in spring or summer 2024: Internship assignment is contingent on the student providing proof of application to an accredited graduate institution at the time appointment is accepted. Proof of enrollment/acceptance in graduate school for fall 2024 will be required upon appointment.
  • Graduate students with an expected graduation date prior to the Summer 2024 term are not eligible to participate.
  • Students must demonstrate interest in research and development of innovative, next-generation homeland security solutions with potential for broad impact that align with the DHS mission to safeguard the American people, our homeland, and our values.
  • Ideal candidates will have a demonstrated history of work, undergraduate research experience, or service learning/volunteer roles.

Important Information

  • Preference will be given to applicants who are:

o   Veterans and Disabled Veterans
o   Underrepresented minorities in STEM
o   Persons with disabilities
o   Persons possessing a suitability or security clearance within the last five years.

Employees of DHS Component agencies or participating partner agencies are not eligible to participate in this program.

Eligibility Requirements

  • Citizenship: U.S. Citizen Only
  • Degree:Currently pursuing an Associate’s Degree, Bachelor’s Degree, Master’s Degree, or Doctoral Degree.

Click HERE to view the PDF handout


 

UD’s Online Master’s Cybersecurity Program Ranked 9th

UD ranked 9thWe’re not surprised that our online master’s program was ranked 9th!

Step beyond traditional IT roles to design, execute and evaluate solutions that can stand up to today’s increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks.

The University of Delaware’s Cybersecurity master’s program is structured to enable professionals to gain advanced training in this field. Unlike other programs that are solely focused on IT security, this program emphasizes design of secure software and systems, security analytics, and secure business systems. We train individuals that have a traditional background in engineering, computer science, information systems, or related fields to have strong security skills that enable them to develop new secure systems and/or software, to exploit analytics for security purposes, or to develop and manage secure business systems. Graduates of this program are skilled in the latest theories and practices required to address the most challenging cybersecurity issues facing the world today.

UD ranked 9th

Benefits

  • 100% online format
  • 2 years to complete, 30 credit hours
  • Personal enrollment support through to degree completion
  • GRE waivers are considered

Online M.S. in Cybersecurity

The Master of Science in Cybersecurity degree is also offered in a completely online format. The online program was designed for working adults and can be completed in as few as two years. Visit the Online M.S. in Cybersecurity page for more information.

The National Security Agency (NSA) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have designated UD as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education.

 

Degree of the Future

Degree of the Future

 Photo illustration by Joy Smoker 

Cybersecurity engineering undergraduate program coming to UD in Fall 2022

With digital devices infiltrating nearly every corner of our lives, from the way we communicate to how we bank to how we cast our ballots, making sure those systems are safe and secure has become more important than ever.

In recent years, Americans have witnessed first-hand what happens when safeguards on these digital devices fail. Just last year, hackers side-lined the nation’s largest fuel pipeline, bringing a vital supply chain to its knees and highlighting the real threat of cyberattacks.

Cybersecurity, once a niche focus for tech-focused minds, is now a critical part of our everyday lives. Earning cybersecurity certificates or studying the field as a minor will no longer cut it in today’s digital age.

To help fill that gap, the University of Delaware’s College of Engineering is among the leading academic institutions in the nation to offer a unique cybersecurity engineering degree starting in Fall 2022. The undergraduate degree will help train a much needed workforce that is in high demand now, and is expected to grow in the coming years.

“We are extremely excited to offer the new cybersecurity engineering degree, with a program that is designed to meet a major market and societal need, particularly in Delaware and the region in the financial and defense sectors,” said Jamie Phillips, professor and chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering where the new program will be housed.

A key strength of the program, Phillips said, is the combination of rigorous cybersecurity fundamentals along with the design and problem-solving skills that UD engineers are known for, thanks to the department’s design-infused curriculum.

“As a result, our graduates will not only have the important modern-day cyber skills, but also the expertise and mindset to analyze, design and build secure devices and systems,” he said.

In October 2021, the White House even emphasized the need for a “whole-of-nation effort to confront cyber threats.”

“Cyber threats can affect every American, every business regardless of size, and every community,” President Joe Biden, a UD alum, said in a statement issued by the White House. “The Federal government needs the partnership of every American and every American company in these efforts. We must lock our digital doors — by encrypting our data and using multi-factor authentication, for example — and we must build technology securely by design, enabling consumers to understand the risks in the technologies they buy. Because people — from those who build technology to those to deploy technology — are at the heart of our success.”

UD’s College of Engineering has anticipated this need for years and now is expanding its offerings with this specialized degree offering.

“We’re a leader in the game,” said Kenneth Barner, Charles Black Evans Professor of Electrical Engineering who, along with Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Assistant Professor Nektarios Tsoutsos, was a driving force behind the new degree program. While at least two dozen other institutions, such as Purdue University, the University of Texas at Austin and the U.S. Naval Academy, offer cybersecurity degrees, UD will be among the earliest in the nation to offer a cybersecurity engineering program.

“We’ve been doing this kind of work for a very long time, and we already have a huge portfolio of programs that add to our expertise in this area,” said Tsoutsos. “The cybersecurity threats are real and we need to defend. Before you could do that and get away with an electrical engineering degree and a minor in cybersecurity. Now that doesn’t work anymore, and we were among the first to notice that.”

Just as computer engineering was a new field in itself only a few decades ago, the new cybersecurity engineering degree will provide a strong foundation that bridges math and science with a design-infused curriculum. Within the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering as well as the Department of Computer and Information Sciences, students already can pursue a minor in cybersecurity, a master’s in cybersecurity or pursue professional certifications. More competitive students can then use their skills to participate year-round in hackathons and cyber games, even at a national level, in large part thanks to the resources available at the on-campus Innovation Suite (iSuite).

“To have a dedicated degree makes the graduates much more well-prepared to hit the ground running with an employer or pursue graduate studies,” Barner said. “This is not just a fad. These are the kind of skills that employers want and need.”

The engineering focus of this unique program means students will not just tackle theoretical coding challenges. They’ll be gaining hands-on skills that are desperately needed in today’s industry.

“Cybersecurity is one of the hottest areas in science, technology, engineering and math,” said Tsoutsos. “It’s not going to die out, and there is a major shortage of skilled labor in this area.”

Tsoutsos said that the cybersecurity field is growing by 7% annually, offering relatively stable job security for anyone willing to tackle the problems of the digital age. The United States is a leader in the field, and future students will have an opportunity to be on the forefront of future innovations in cybersecurity.

“I believe that the new cybersecurity engineering program will be wildly successful in attracting a diverse student population, and will meet an ever growing demand for talented professionals in Delaware, the region and beyond,” said Phillips.

To learn more or to enroll in this new program, go to ece.udel.edu/academics/undergraduate/cybersecurity-engineering-major.

Stellar Student

Stellar Student

UD computer science major Lauren Baron is making her mark

If Lauren Baron is any representation of the up-and-coming generation of scientists and engineers, then our future is going to be filled with innovative solutions.

At just 21 years old, this University of Delaware undergraduate has already developed a program that combines art therapy, physical therapy and virtual reality — and hopefully a bit of fun — for stroke patients working through their upper limb mobility challenges.

“This was my first time working with virtual reality. It was all new to me,” said Baron, recalling her first year at UD’s College of Engineering. By the end of the summer, she conducted a preliminary study — another first for this honors student. It was also her first time working online, since the second half of Baron’s first year coincided with the lockdowns due to COVID-19 in 2020.

Lauren Baron

Lauren Baron

The New Jersey native is studying computer science in the Department of Computer and Information Sciences, where research opportunities — even in a remote learning environment due to the pandemic — have helped her to embrace the creative side of her scientific pursuits.

“I’ve always been interested in computers,” said Baron. “It’s like a lot of problem solving. It didn’t feel like work to me. It’s fun to solve this problem or make that computer do something cool.”

Her project at UD has shown how turning physical therapy sessions into virtual reality games, where patients can virtually draw while also exercising their limbs, can help patients better engage in treatment. It also keeps them entertained, so they don’t get bored during their exercises or don’t feel pain as acutely.

“She wrote her first manuscript in her third semester at UD and she continued her project even when the program was concluded,” said Roghayeh (Leila) Barmaki, an assistant professor and Baron’s mentor. “She is a model for undergraduate students conducting research.”

In the three years she’s been pursuing her undergraduate degree and working in Barmaki’s award-winning Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) Lab, Baron has already earned a status as a published researcher, including as the first author on a peer-reviewed study on her VR therapy game published in the Association for Computing Machinery Proceedings.

Her UD department has recognized her as the Outstanding Sophomore Student with the Paul D. Amer Meritorious Award in 2021, as well as Outstanding Senior Student in 2022. She’s earned honorable mention from the Computing Research Association as an outstanding undergraduate researcher, as well.

“She’s definitely one of the rockstars,” said Austin Cory Bart, an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Sciences and Information.

Bart recalled when he first met Baron during her freshman year, and he can still remember her final project, a game she created called “Leaps and Bounds.” It wasn’t so different from Frogger, for those who remember the ‘80s arcade game in which a frog dodged traffic on a busy highway to get home. But the creative touches in the game’s appearance, and the fact that the program’s design was essentially coded from scratch by Baron, left an impression, Bart said.

“And she did it on her own,” he said. By her junior year, Baron was helping Bart as a teaching assistant. Not only was she helping in a challenging software engineering course, but she was also helping Bart learn how to teach the class with brand-new elements, showcasing Baron’s leadership skills on top of her technical prowess.

“It did not take her long at all to get up to speed,” Bart said. “It’s not just about knowing the material. It’s also about being there, convincing students they can ask you questions, showing a certain amount of authority and compassion at the same time.”

In addition to the strenuous studies of being a member of UD’s Honors College, Baron also is pursuing a minor in cyber security during her studies at the College of Engineering and has made the dean’s list every year. She said she’s specifically interested in keeping technology safer from hackers.

She said it was a friend during her freshman year who pointed her to research opportunities through the Delaware INBRE Summer Scholars Program, which ultimately led her to Barmaki and an introduction to biomedical-based approaches and virtual reality. Baron will continue fine-tuning the therapy-focused game as she prepares her senior thesis in the HCI lab.

Growing up in a close-knit Filipino family with a respiratory therapist for a mom, an anesthesiologist for an uncle and a physical therapist for an aunt, Baron said she thought she’d end up in the medical field, too.

But in high school, she had found an affinity for computer science, drawn by the creativity she found in digital problem solving. She also wanted to stay close to her family and UD seemed like the perfect fit, she said.

“I’m really happy with it. I love it,” she said. “There’s a big sense of community in the College of Engineering, and I’ve especially had a good experience in the computer science program. The teachers are really supportive of their students.”

She noted that the department specifically supports aspiring female scientists by providing scholarships and supporting their attendance at the annual Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing, one of the leading conferences in the field.

During the summer in 2021 and 2022, Baron has been a software engineering intern at JP Morgan Chase. The summer after her freshman year (2020), she interned at the HCI Lab as a summer scholar and through UD’s Office of Economic Innovation and Partnerships’ “Spin In” program as a backend web development intern working on a “Manure Market” project that aimed to create a website connecting Delmarva poultry producers and those selling litter from poultry operations with buyers and brokers, ultimately to address the excess nutrients, such as phosphorus, in the region. She has also participated in UD coding team competitions and regional Hackathons, and since her freshman year has participated in the University’s Filipino Student Association, the Women’s Chapter of the Association for Computing Machinery, and CS+Social Good, an organization that connects community organizations with technical solutions from students, where she helps lead the effort’s public relations.

It’s not all about computers for this scientist from south Jersey, though. Baron is a former volleyball player who loves her technical work and studies but also enjoys traveling, spending time with friends, painting and baking.

This stellar student expects to graduate in fall 2022 – a semester early. After that, she plans to pursue a career in industry, possibly in the technology sector.

“She’s like a magnet,” Barmaki said, noting that she not only has a well-rounded extracurricular agenda, but that she was known to motivate others to join Barmaki’s group. “She’s trustworthy, hardworking and focused — and she also follows her dreams and passions. She knows what she’s looking for.”

First dual-degree grad in Cybersecurity

First dual-degree grad in Cybersecurity

Celebrating the first graduate of UD’s new BAIM/cybersecurity dual degree program

As a first-generation Asian American and an alumnus of the First State’s University of Delaware, Devarshi Patel knows a lot about firsts. And now, Patel has added another first to his list as he became the first graduate of UD’s master of science dual degree program in business analytics and information management (BAIM) and cybersecurity.

“It is a privilege to be the first graduate of this amazing program,” said Patel, who grew up in Camden, Delaware and completed his bachelor of science in information systems as part of UD’s Class of 2018. “I hope more students interested in business and technology find their way to this M.S. program because I truly believe it provides the best of both worlds.”

Patel said that he was drawn to the dual degree program, which is offered as a collaboration between UD’s Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics and UD’s College of Engineering, because of his active interest in technology.

“After completing a technology internship for one of the largest banks in 2018, I realized which areas of tech were gaining popularity,” Patel said. “The three main areas of tech that are on an upward trend are big data, cybersecurity and cloud computing. I decided that I wanted to focus on particular areas of technology that I knew would last indefinitely and continue to rapidly advance.”

On his time in the new program, Patel said: “I had an opportunity to meet a lot of great students and professors and learn from some of the most knowledgeable instructors from both Lerner and the College of Engineering.” He added that his favorite part of the program was his experience “working on team projects with real-world applications.”

Now that he has graduated as part of the Class of 2020, Patel hopes to begin a full-time position in the cybersecurity and/or information security industries. This summer, he also worked with a friend to start a business, Iterics.io, which creates websites for small businesses.

Regardless of his next step, Patel’s future is bright, said Chase Cotton, a professor in UD’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering who works closely with the dual degree program. Cotton taught Patel in several cybersecurity classes and said that it’s “really exciting” for the new dual degree program to have its first graduate.

Cotton also said that the program has been running “quite smoothly” so far, adding that “because today’s world has an increased focus on cybersecurity, we find the Lerner BAIM students wanting to further reinforce their IT knowledge in the cyber domain.”

Students like Patel who have this unique and specialized qualification, Cotton said, are well prepared to join a number of fields and career paths.

“In today’s world, almost any technical, business or healthcare student needs to be introduced to those aspects of their future careers that will be impacted by cybersecurity needs and issues,” Cotton said. “Since a large fraction of the IT workforce enters the business via a MIS path, it is very useful to let them add needed cybersecurity knowledge and skills to their IT foundations.”

Andrea Everard, Lerner College associate dean of undergraduate programs and professor of MIS, provided additional insight on this distinctive partnership between colleges and the benefits it provides to students in providing core and advanced courses from both colleges.

“Students get the best of both degrees, with a more in-depth coverage in cybersecurity,” Everard said. “Discussion with potential employers revealed a need for graduates not only equipped with training in cybersecurity but also able to understand the business environment where these skills would be applied. Controlling organizational risks and managing security threats requires not only the more technical aspects of cybersecurity (provided through the College of Engineering) but also, very importantly, an understanding of what is required for the successful implementation and management of IT in business.”

 Photo courtesy of Devarshi Patel 

Bendett Fellowship Award

Bendett Fellowship Award

Doctoral candidate Ellen Gupta recognized with award to support research

The University of Delaware Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering is pleased to announce that doctoral candidate Ellen Gupta is the newest recipient of the Bendett Fellowship Award.

The Bendett Fellowship was established in 2004 by Mark P. Bendett, ’81M ’85PhD, who earned his advanced degrees in electrical engineering. The fellowship honors Bendett and his mother, Dorothy Jaworowski Bendett ’46.

During a career that spanned more than three decades, Mark Bendett developed numerous photonic products used for manufacturing and medical applications, founded a telecommunications component company, and generated more than 30 publications and 60 patents. Dorothy Bendett studied chemistry, received her degree in home economics, and later became a noted nutritionist and teacher.

Gupta, the latest recipient of the Bendett Fellowship, is a doctoral candidate in electrical engineering, focusing on electromagnetics and optics. She is exploring hybrid multi-material additive manufacturing by designing, modeling, simulating, and constructing functional radiofrequency (RF) devices such as RF gradient index lenses and RF filters to enhance communication systems. Gupta holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Maryland Baltimore County.

This award will give Gupta the invaluable opportunity to focus on her research while completing her studies.