BOARD # 462: The Role of the NSF S-STEM funded ACCESS Project in Recruiting and Supporting Cybersecurity Students

Katerina Goseva-Popstojanova; Daniel Mackin Freeman; Robin A.M. Hensel

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Conference: 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Publication Date: June 22, 2025
Start Date: June 22, 2025
End Date: August 15, 2025
Conference Session: NSF Grantees Poster Session II
Tagged Topics: Diversity and NSF Grantees Poster Session
Page Count: 6
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/55844

Paper Authors

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Katerina Goseva-Popstojanova West Virginia University orcid.org/0000-0003-4683-672X

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Dr. Katerina Goseva-Popstojanova is a Professor at the Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV. Her research interests are in software engineering, cybersecurity, and data analytics, as well as in higher education focused on these areas. She has served as a Principal Investigator on various NSF, NASA, and industry funded projects. She leads the B.S. in Cybersecurity program and serves as Academic Coordinator of the M.S. in Software Engineering Program at West Virginia University. She has served on program and organizing committees of many international conferences and workshops.

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Daniel Mackin Freeman University of Washington orcid.org/0000-0002-3147-9371

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Daniel Mackin Freeman is a doctoral candidate in Portland State University’s Department of Sociology and a Research Scientist at the University of Washington Center for Evaluation and Research for STEM Equity. He received his BFA in General Fine Arts with a focus on social practice from the Pacific Northwest College of Art and his MS in Sociology from Portland State University. With a background in the philosophy of art and education, Daniel’s current research focuses on how school structure and curricular emphases both result from and perpetuate social inequalities.

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Robin A.M. Hensel West Virginia University orcid.org/0000-0003-1858-6452

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Robin A. M. Hensel, Ed.D., is a Teaching Professor in the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources at West Virginia University and an ASEE Fellow Member. As a mathematician and computer systems analyst, she collaborated in engineering teams to support energy research before entering higher education where she taught mathematics, statistics, computer science, and engineering courses, secured over $5.5M to support STEM education research, led program development efforts, and served in several administrative roles. She has been recognized for her teaching, advising, service, and research and as an Exemplary Faculty Member for Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

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Abstract

The goal of the NSF S-STEM funded [Project] is to increase the number of undergraduate students who complete cybersecurity-related degrees, thus cultivating the much-needed cybersecurity experts. The [Project] objectives are: (1) increase the annual enrollment of students in the B.S. and Area of Emphasis (AoE) in Cybersecurity at [University]; (2) provide co-curricular activities and student support services intended to bolster students' academic achievement and career prospects in cybersecurity; (3) establish partnerships with cybersecurity employers from the private and public sector; and (4) explore the impact of the [Project] activities on students' academic success and transition into graduate school or careers in cybersecurity fields.

Thus far, 96 annual scholarships have been awarded to 63 unique students from five cohorts. The [Project] has contributed significantly to the increase of enrollment in Cybersecurity B.S. degree and AoE - from 50 students (US citizens) at the start of the project in spring 2020 to 194 students (US citizens) in fall 2024. The successful recruitment and selection of scholars resulted from a wide range of outreach activities tailored to different student identities, across different academic stages. Over the five cohorts, 35% of new scholars were recruited while they were still in high school, which demonstrates the value of this scholarship for recruiting talented incoming freshmen who specialize in cybersecurity. To date, 20 [Project] scholars have graduated and gotten full-time positions or enrolled in graduate studies.

Overall, the gender diversity of scholarship recipients was greater than that of their peers enrolled in Cybersecurity B.S. and AoE at [University]. Specifically, 24% of the scholarship recipients of Cohorts 1 - 5 together are women compared to 11% among their peers. The percentages of students from underrepresented racial/ethnic backgrounds were similar among scholars and their peers (i.e., 19% versus 21%, respectively).

To aid students' success, the [Project] developed and offered numerous co-curricular activities and support services. These include social events like Award Ceremonies and "Get Together" meetings, which enabled community building. Furthermore, all scholars received faculty mentoring as part of the [Project], most scholars participated in the Cyber[University] student organization, and some scholars were involved in research.

The [Project] has strengthened the existing and created new partnerships with many cybersecurity employers. During eight semesters, prominent cybersecurity experts offered 19 seminars and panels for our students. These events were consistently ranked among the most appreciated activities, allowing students to gain practical knowledge and learn about career opportunities that they otherwise would not have known about. In addition, the partnerships with cybersecurity employers provided scholars with opportunities for internships and full-time employment.

Lastly, the [Project] research and evaluation teams worked together on exploring how [Project] activities affect students' success and on disseminating findings that could be valuable to other institutions.

Citation
Format

Goseva-Popstojanova, K., & Mackin Freeman, D., & Hensel, R. A. (2025, June), BOARD # 462: The Role of the NSF S-STEM funded ACCESS Project in Recruiting and Supporting Cybersecurity Students Paper presented at 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Montreal, Quebec, Canada . https://peer.asee.org/55844

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - The goal of the NSF S-STEM funded [Project] is to increase the number of undergraduate students who complete cybersecurity-related degrees, thus cultivating the much-needed cybersecurity experts. The [Project] objectives are: (1) increase the annual enrollment of students in the B.S. and Area of Emphasis (AoE) in Cybersecurity at [University]; (2) provide co-curricular activities and student support services intended to bolster students&#39; academic achievement and career prospects in cybersecurity; (3) establish partnerships with cybersecurity employers from the private and public sector; and (4) explore the impact of the [Project] activities on students&#39; academic success and transition into graduate school or careers in cybersecurity fields.

Thus far, 96 annual scholarships have been awarded to 63 unique students from five cohorts. The [Project] has contributed significantly to the increase of enrollment in Cybersecurity B.S. degree and AoE - from 50 students (US citizens) at the start of the project in spring 2020 to 194 students (US citizens) in fall 2024. The successful recruitment and selection of scholars resulted from a wide range of outreach activities tailored to different student identities, across different academic stages. Over the five cohorts, 35% of new scholars were recruited while they were still in high school, which demonstrates the value of this scholarship for recruiting talented incoming freshmen who specialize in cybersecurity. To date, 20 [Project] scholars have graduated and gotten full-time positions or enrolled in graduate studies.

Overall, the gender diversity of scholarship recipients was greater than that of their peers enrolled in Cybersecurity B.S. and AoE at [University]. Specifically, 24% of the scholarship recipients of Cohorts 1 - 5 together are women compared to 11% among their peers. The percentages of students from underrepresented racial/ethnic backgrounds were similar among scholars and their peers (i.e., 19% versus 21%, respectively). 

To aid students&#39; success, the [Project] developed and offered numerous co-curricular activities and support services. These include social events like Award Ceremonies and &quot;Get Together&quot; meetings, which enabled community building. Furthermore, all scholars received faculty mentoring as part of the [Project], most scholars participated in the Cyber[University] student organization, and some scholars were involved in research.

The [Project] has strengthened the existing and created new partnerships with many cybersecurity employers. During eight semesters, prominent cybersecurity experts offered 19 seminars and panels for our students. These events were consistently ranked among the most appreciated activities, allowing students to gain practical knowledge and learn about career opportunities that they otherwise would not have known about. In addition, the partnerships with cybersecurity employers provided scholars with opportunities for internships and full-time employment.

Lastly, the [Project] research and evaluation teams worked together on exploring how [Project] activities affect students&#39; success and on disseminating findings that could be valuable to other institutions. 
AU  - Katerina Goseva-Popstojanova
AU  - Daniel Mackin Freeman
AU  - Robin A.M. Hensel
CY  - Montreal, Quebec, Canada 
DA  - 2025/06/22
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - BOARD # 462: The Role of the NSF S-STEM funded ACCESS Project in Recruiting and Supporting Cybersecurity Students
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/55844
ER  -