{"id":197776,"date":"2026-03-20T11:44:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T15:44:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/testing.news-you-need.com\/index.php\/2026\/03\/20\/ocii-staff-undergrads-grad-students-make-an-impact-in-cyber-field\/"},"modified":"2026-03-20T15:35:13","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T19:35:13","slug":"ocii-staff-undergrads-grad-students-make-an-impact-in-cyber-field","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/testing.news-you-need.com\/index.php\/2026\/03\/20\/ocii-staff-undergrads-grad-students-make-an-impact-in-cyber-field\/","title":{"rendered":"OCII staff, undergrads, grad students make an impact in cyber field"},"content":{"rendered":"

OCII staff, undergrads, grad students make an impact in cyber field<\/a><\/p>\n

https:\/\/utulsa.edu\/news\/ocii-staff-undergrads-grad-students-make-an-impact-in-cyber-field\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Publish Date: 2026-03-20 11:44:00<\/a><\/p>\n

Source Domain: utulsa.edu<\/a><\/p>\n

Author: <\/a><\/p>\n

Using an unordered list, summarize the following article with between 4 and 8 key points.
\n At The University of Tulsa\u2019s Oklahoma Cyber Innovation Institute (OCII), three women are shaping the future of cybersecurity education, research and workforce development. Their paths into the field are distinct, but each reflects a blend of resilience, curiosity and commitment to the cyber field.
\nBristie Rahman \u2013 Security Compliance Analyst & Cybersecurity Student
\nFor Bristie Rahman, a cybersecurity senior from Sapulpa and security compliance analyst at OCII, her interest in cyber began the moment she came to campus. She arrived as a first-year student with no technical experience, but UTulsa\u2019s hands-on approach quickly set her journey in motion.
\n\u201cI got to take advanced classes like radio frequency reverse engineering as a freshman. By my sophomore year, I was working part-time as a security operations center analyst,\u201d she said.
\nHer work at OCII has accelerated her growth. From contributing to GreenUAS certification and penetration testing bots to supporting educational outreach, she credits the technical rigor and the supportive leadership with shaping her development. On those who inspired her, she mentioned Preston Smith, security control assessor of OCII, for his mentorship and teaching.
\n\u201cHe really trained me and made sure I understood what I was doing,\u201d she said. \u201cMore than anything, he\u2019s a truly kind person.\u201d
\nRahman\u2019s studies span incident response, malware analysis, digital forensics, authentication systems and systems design. Her favorite project involved building a full Proxmox environment, conducting penetration tests on workstations and having Suricata alerts triggered from the ground up. Outside class, she\u2019s pursuing a GenAI nanodegree through the nonprofit Girls Who Code.
\n\u201cMost of the opportunities I\u2019ve gotten weren\u2019t because I was super technical,\u201d she said. \u201cPeople remember when you\u2019re curious.\u201d
\nDespite moments of burnout, she said the journey is deeply rewarding thanks in part to professors who shaped her growth.
\nTywania Griffin \u2013 Director of Educational Programming
\nFor Tywania Griffin, director of educational programming at OCII, the program represented an opportunity to combine purpose with momentum. Previously a high school principal, she was drawn to the institute\u2019s statewide vision of expanding cybersecurity readiness, building a pipeline of cyber-aware citizens.
\n\u201cThis wasn\u2019t just another university initiative,\u201d said Griffin, who is married to a UTulsa computer science alumnus. \u201cIt was a bold, statewide effort to strengthen Oklahoma\u2019s cybersecurity resilience.\u201d
\nGriffin leads the development of hands-on cybersecurity experiences for learners of all ages. Her team designs classroom projects, teacher trainings, camps and curriculum materials including a free high school cybersecurity curriculum that\u2019s being implemented in nine Oklahoma schools so far.
\n\u201cSeeing students gain confidence and teachers feel empowered reminds me why this work matters,\u201d she said.
\nGriffin encouraged women in technology fields to follow the feeling of discovering more: \u201cCuriosity will take you places you didn\u2019t know existed. It takes courage to pivot careers or ask for help. Surround yourself with people who see your potential.\u201d
\nAmorita Christian \u2013 Cyber Studies Doctoral Student
\nFor Cyber Fellow Amorita Christian, UTulsa and OCII offered the perfect pathway into the next chapter of her career. With a background in software engineering and IT management, she wanted a program that could support her goal of earning a doctorate in cyber studies while positioning her for long-term contributions to the field. After meeting some UTulsa faculty, Christian knew the university would be the ideal place.
\n\u201cBoth programs presented clear pathways toward fulfilling my dream of earning a Ph.D.,\u201d she said.
\nHer research focuses on the cyber-physical security of the water and wastewater systems sector of critical infrastructure, an area she has been connected to since childhood.
\n\u201cI grew up around water treatment facilities,\u201d she said. \u201cI never expected to come full circle and directly contribute to securing our nation\u2019s critical infrastructure.\u201d
\nThrough OCII and the Cyber Fellows program, she gained hands-on experience with programmable logic controllers, drones and robotics as well as access to industry networks essential to her work. Her research has led to internships with the National Computer Forensics Institute, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Idaho National Laboratory and OCII itself.
\nChristian emphasized that students should know their goals, embrace change and maintain a balance between life and research.
\n\u201cSuccess in a doctoral program is built on two pillars: your inner circle of family, friends and your adviser,\u201d she said. \u201cSupport from those two pillars can determine whether you finish, so choose wisely.\u201d
\nHonoring women advancing cyber innovations
\nAcross OCII, women like Rahman, Griffin and Christian are pushing boundaries in classrooms, research labs and statewide initiatives that shape Oklahoma\u2019s future in cybersecurity. For more information about OCII, visit its website here.
\n\u00a0<\/p>\n

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