Full Paper: The Impact of the ACCESS Program on Recruiting Cybersecurity Students and Fostering their Academic Success and Career Prospects

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

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Conference: FYEE 2025 Conference
Location: University of Maryland - College Park, Maryland
Publication Date: July 27, 2025
Start Date: July 27, 2025
End Date: July 29, 2025
Conference Session: Full Papers IV
Tagged Topic: FYEE 2025
Page Count: 8
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--55251
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/55251
Download Count: 10

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 is a Program Director of Undergraduate Studies in Cybersecurity and serves as an 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. Prior to joining academia, she served as a mathematician and computer systems analyst at the U.S. Department of Energy, where she managed technical projects and collaborated with engineering teams to support energy research. With over 30 years of experience in higher education, Dr. Hensel has taught courses in mathematics, statistics, computer science, engineering, and engineering technology. She has secured more than $6.5 million in funding to advance STEM education research, led major program development initiatives, and held multiple administrative leadership positions. Her contributions have been recognized through numerous awards for excellence in teaching, advising, research, and service.

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Abstract

Cybersecurity is crucial in protecting individuals, businesses, and critical infrastructure from malicious cyberattacks that can lead to severe financial losses and operational disruptions. Securing key sectors such as healthcare, energy, and government systems is essential for the national security. However, there is a global shortage of qualified cybersecurity professionals, with nearly half a million job openings in the U.S. alone. The growing reliance on technology and the increasing complexity of cyber threats further highlight the need for skilled professionals, leading to a projected 33% growth in cybersecurity job opportunities from 2023 to 2033, far outpacing the average growth for all occupations.

To address the shortage of cybersecurity professionals, in 2018 West Virginia University (WVU) launched a B.S. in Cybersecurity and an Area of Emphasis (AoE) in Cybersecurity for other B.S. majors. The B.S. program was accredited by ABET in 2022 and is designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CD) by the NSA. The main goal of the NSF S-STEM funded ACCESS project is aligned with addressing the huge unmet need for cybersecurity professionals. Specifically, ACCESS aims to increase the annual enrollment in the B.S. and AoE in Cybersecurity at WVU and provide activities that support students’ academic success and bolster their career prospects, ultimately resulting in increased number of students who complete undergraduate degree focused on cybersecurity and succeed in their professional careers.

This full research paper describes the ACCESS program, its goals, and the programmatic elements that led to its success. Specific ACCESS program elements focus on enhancing recruitment, student support, and partnerships with cybersecurity employers. The paper describes recruitment activities over five years, including annual scholarship and enrollment trends, and outlines the co-curricular activities that support students’ academic success and build their professional identity. Furthermore, using the data obtained through anonymous surveys and focus group interviews, the paper summarizes scholars’ feedback on how the ACCESS program benefited their academic success and professional identity development.

Over five years, the project has awarded 96 scholarships to 63 students across five cohorts. Enrollment in the cybersecurity B.S. degree and AoE has grown significantly, from 50 students in spring 2020 to 194 students in fall 2024. Notably, 35% of new ACCESS scholars were recruited while still in high school, highlighting the value of the scholarship in attracting talented freshmen and increasing the enrollment. To date, 21 scholars have graduated and secured full-time positions or enrolled in graduate studies, demonstrating the positive impact of the ACCESS on students' academic and professional success. Overall, the enrollment increased, retention and persistence improved, and students provided valuable feedback on the ACCESS activities that were helpful in their academic success and professional development.

Citation
Format

Goseva-Popstojanova, K., & Mackin Freeman, D., & Hensel, R. A. (2025, July), Full Paper: The Impact of the ACCESS Program on Recruiting Cybersecurity Students and Fostering their Academic Success and Career Prospects Paper presented at FYEE 2025 Conference, University of Maryland - College Park, Maryland. 10.18260/1-2--55251

TY - CPAPER
AB - Cybersecurity is crucial in protecting individuals, businesses, and critical infrastructure from malicious cyberattacks that can lead to severe financial losses and operational disruptions. Securing key sectors such as healthcare, energy, and government systems is essential for the national security. However, there is a global shortage of qualified cybersecurity professionals, with nearly half a million job openings in the U.S. alone. The growing reliance on technology and the increasing complexity of cyber threats further highlight the need for skilled professionals, leading to a projected 33% growth in cybersecurity job opportunities from 2023 to 2033, far outpacing the average growth for all occupations.

To address the shortage of cybersecurity professionals, in 2018 West Virginia University (WVU) launched a B.S. in Cybersecurity and an Area of Emphasis (AoE) in Cybersecurity for other B.S. majors. The B.S. program was accredited by ABET in 2022 and is designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CD) by the NSA. The main goal of the NSF S-STEM funded ACCESS project is aligned with addressing the huge unmet need for cybersecurity professionals. Specifically, ACCESS aims to increase the annual enrollment in the B.S. and AoE in Cybersecurity at WVU and provide activities that support students’ academic success and bolster their career prospects, ultimately resulting in increased number of students who complete undergraduate degree focused on cybersecurity and succeed in their professional careers.

This full research paper describes the ACCESS program, its goals, and the programmatic elements that led to its success. Specific ACCESS program elements focus on enhancing recruitment, student support, and partnerships with cybersecurity employers. The paper describes recruitment activities over five years, including annual scholarship and enrollment trends, and outlines the co-curricular activities that support students’ academic success and build their professional identity. Furthermore, using the data obtained through anonymous surveys and focus group interviews, the paper summarizes scholars’ feedback on how the ACCESS program benefited their academic success and professional identity development.

Over five years, the project has awarded 96 scholarships to 63 students across five cohorts. Enrollment in the cybersecurity B.S. degree and AoE has grown significantly, from 50 students in spring 2020 to 194 students in fall 2024. Notably, 35% of new ACCESS scholars were recruited while still in high school, highlighting the value of the scholarship in attracting talented freshmen and increasing the enrollment. To date, 21 scholars have graduated and secured full-time positions or enrolled in graduate studies, demonstrating the positive impact of the ACCESS on students&#39; academic and professional success. Overall, the enrollment increased, retention and persistence improved, and students provided valuable feedback on the ACCESS activities that were helpful in their academic success and professional development.
AU - Katerina Goseva-Popstojanova
AU - Daniel Mackin Freeman
AU - Robin A.M. Hensel
CY - University of Maryland - College Park, Maryland
DA - 2025/07/27
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Full Paper: The Impact of the ACCESS Program on Recruiting Cybersecurity Students and Fostering their Academic Success and Career Prospects
UR - https://peer.asee.org/55251
DO - 10.18260/1-2--55251
ER -