Statler College to hold cybersecurity panel discussion with industry experts

The Statler College will be hosting a virtual panel discussion with cybersecurity experts on Tuesday, April 13 at 5 p.m. Panelists include (pictured left to right) Travis Rosiek, Joseph Brendler and David Mihelcic. (Photos submitted)

Three leaders in the field of cybersecurity will be joining together in a panel session to discuss the critical relationship between the cyber domain and national security, and how students can best position themselves for a future career in this growing area.

Story by Olivia Miller, Communications Specialist

Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources

The virtual session, scheduled for Tuesday, April 13 at 5 p.m., hosted by the Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering in West Virginia University’s Statler College, as part of the National Science Foundation funded project Attracting and Cultivating Cybersecurity Experts and Scholars through Scholarships (ACCESS), will be made available to members of the University community.

Panelists Travis Rosiek, Joseph Brendler, and David Mihelcic will discuss the global economy’s growing dependence on the internet, access to cyber weapons, complexities in attribution of cyber threat actors, the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DOD) adaptation to the cyber domain and the lack of borders in the cyber domain and the national security implications for these.

Travis Rosiek is a highly accomplished cyber defense leader, having led several commercial and U.S. government programs, with 20 years of experience in the security industry. Rosiek received a dual degree in computer engineering and electrical engineering and a master’s in electrical engineering from WVU. Prior to his current role at BluVector as chief technology and strategy officer, Rosiek held several leadership roles including chief technology officer at Tychon and federal chief technology officer at FireEye, as well as various senior roles at other agencies.

Joseph Brendler is a senior leader with more than 30 years of experience leading large organizations in delivering information technology and cyber solutions. Prior to starting his consulting business and joining Deep Water Point where he is now an associate partner. Brendler was former Chief of Staff U.S. Cyber Command and served in the U.S. Army, retiring as a major general in December 2016.

David Mihelcic is an expert consultant in communications networking, information technology and cybersecurity. Mihelcic has a record of over three decades of success in solving some of the DoD’s most difficult information technology and cybersecurity problems. Mihelcic retired in 2017 after nearly 20 years with the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) as the chief technology officer, a position he held for more than 12 years.

“One of the goals of the ACCESS program is to leverage the partnership of academia with government and industry, and to provide our students opportunities to learn from and network with experts and leaders in the field,” said Professor Katerina Goseva-Popstojanova, principal investigator of ACCESS.

Goseva-Popstojanova explained that events like this are expected to increase current and future student's interest in careers in cybersecurity and contribute to defending the U.S. cyberspace from increasing cyber threats.

The event will be conducted through Microsoft Teams. For additional information and to register contact Goseva-Popstojanova at Katerina.Goseva@mail.wvu.edu

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