Like many other departments on campus, the Division of Information Technology relies on the support and talent of student employees in its work initiatives. These opportunities allow aspiring professionals to gain valuable work experience and connections while also making an immediate difference on campus. As a core pillar of DoIT, Cybersecurity Assurance and Digital Trust employs multiple Student Security Technicians, who play a critical role in ensuring that UMBC’s digital environment remains safe and uncompromised.
Today, we would like to highlight two of these technicians who will be graduating this May. Grace Robinson and Ouwen Dai have served in their roles for the majority of their academic careers and are now taking the next step into the professional world.
Along with their fellow members of the student team, Grace and Ouwen work on the frontlines in phishing response and outreach, monitoring threats, and investigating reports. They have also partaken in additional subprojects and development work. While a large portion of their efforts are based in dividing and individually conquering their ticket pools, they enjoy collaborating with their fellow technicians when a problem needs solving, and do their part to foster camaraderie. In a dynamic field where the workflow can go from quiet to packed in an instant, their tasks are always engaging.
Ultimately, this work is the type you often don’t hear much about, but it has been crucial in keeping UMBC safe and operational. As Grace and Ouwen now look ahead to their futures, their experiences have similarly left them with much to reflect on.
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Grace Robinson
Major: Computer Science - Cybersecurity Track
Grace got her start at DoIT after hearing from other student employees and sending out an inquiry email. With her track in cybersecurity, she knew exactly what was the best fit for her skillset and interests. She will be continuing her cybersecurity work after graduation, having secured a full-time role with a government contractor.
Cybersecurity is a hectic and broad field where everyone still has things to learn. Grace advises focusing on what you do know in order to be successful, instead of worrying about the unknown. Hoping to have a long career in a field dominated by men, she wants to see more women and girls in cybersecurity in the future and hopes to be part of that change.
Ouwen Dai
Major: Computer Science - Cybersecurity Track
As a sophomore, Ouwen leveraged his connections in the Information Systems Security Association to connect with DoIT leadership, eventually interviewing for a Student Security Technician position. Grateful for the experience offered by his projects, he enjoys being able to make a real difference and have a positive impact on the campus. One of the projects he is proudest of involved working with the UMBC fire panels in a joint effort with Environmental Health and Safety. This project resulted in fire personnel being able to receive panel data outputs directly to their phones, a massive upgrade in convenience, and improvements in alarm response.
After graduation, Ouwen has a full-time role lined up with a federal nonprofit organization, where he will work as a cybersecurity engineer. In the future, he sees himself potentially working in a managerial or adjacent role. He stresses the importance of actually enjoying the work that you’re doing and always being willing to learn. True passion helps you learn outside the classroom and can take you places.
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Please join us in congratulating Grace and Ouwen on their work at UMBC, as well as everything they have coming up! Best of luck in your future endeavors!