Skip to Main Content Skip to Main Navigation Skip to Footer
UNG Logo
  • Info For...
    • Accepted Students
    • Current Students
    • Parents & Family
    • Faculty & Staff
    • Alumni
    • Business & Community
    • International Students
  • Quicklinks
    • Directories
    • myUNG
    • Academic Catalogs
    • Athletics
    • Banner
    • Bookstore
    • Calendars
    • Campuses & Maps
    • Continuing Education
    • D2L
    • Employment / HR
    • IT Service Desk
    • Libraries
    • UNG Foundation
  • Admissions
  • Corps of Cadets
  • Academics
  • Cost & Aid
  • Student Life
  • News & Events
  • Athletics
  • About Us

Find the most up-to-date information on the Presidential Search site.

Newsroom
  • All Articles
  • Media Relations Contact
  • Expert Guide
  • Points of Pride
  • Magazine
  • Social Media
    1. UNG
    2. News

    GenCyber Warrior Academy attracts high schoolers to computer science

    June 24, 2019
    Dr. Bryson Payne, professor of computer science in UNG's Mike Cottrell College of Business, conducts a class during the GenCyber Warrior Academy in June at the University of North Georgia (UNG). The academy's purpose is to expose students to cybersecurity and computer science programs to spark interest in the field and introduce women to the male-dominated industry.

    Article By: Staff

    Learning to hack into a car, control a robot, program a drone, and write computer code are just a few of the activities high school students will master during the GenCyber Warrior Academy in June at the University of North Georgia (UNG).

    More than 170 national and international students applied for 40 positions to the highly selective 10-day summer program. Of those accepted, 20 were boys and 20 were girls.

    Dr. Bryson Payne, professor of computer science in UNG's Mike Cottrell College of Business, said the gender split is deliberate for two reasons. First is that the National Security Agency, which sponsors and funds the summer program, seeks out diverse participants, including minority and female applicants.

    "Secondly, we have learned that when we have an equal number of boys and girls, it contributes to a positive campus environment and creates a unique culture among the students," said Payne, who is the director of UNG's Center for Cyber Operations Education.

    The cybersecurity and computer science instructors reflect that diversity as well. Of the six UNG faculty members teaching in the GenCyber Warrior Academy, three are women. They are Diane Stephens, lecturer of computer science and information systems; Dr. Mingyuan Yan, assistant professor of computer science; and Dr. Sara Sartoli, assistant professor of computer science. Yan and Sartoli are two of the newest additions to the academy while Stephens participated last year.

    "I had a blast last summer," Stephens said. "These kids wanted to learn. It made me want to come up with new things to teach them. It was a great experience."

    Yan said she hopes to glean some energy from students during the program and use it to engage them in the computer science and cybersecurity fields.

    "The high school curriculum is different. So I will try to get to know the high school students and know how computer science is taught at the high school level," she said. "Then I can know what I can teach them to attract them to computer science."

    2019-06-24-Cyber-Warrior-Academy-3

    GenCyber Warrior Academy's purpose is to expose students to cybersecurity and computer science programs to spark interest in the field and introduce women to the male-dominated industry.

    Payne said GenCyber Warrior Academy's purpose is to expose students to cybersecurity and computer science programs to spark interest in the field and introduce women to the male-dominated industry. While computer science research jobs are estimated to grow by 19 percent by 2026, female college students only earn 18 percent of computer science bachelor's degrees in the U.S., according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

    "We want to see more women in computer and cybersecurity careers," Payne said. "And the GenCyber Warrior Academy exposes the brightest girls to those opportunities."

    Young girls also need to see and be inspired by female computer science teachers.

    "If girls don't see women teaching in the field, they don't think it is for them," Stephens said. "If you see them, you can see yourself."

    Plenty of careers are available in computer science. About 350,000 U.S. cybersecurity positions were unfilled in 2017 because of a lack of qualified candidates, according to CyberSeek, a project supported by the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education, which is a program of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Payne explained the GenCyber Warrior Academy's mission is to produce the next generation of cybersecurity leaders to fill those positions.

    UNG is designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education, and has supported the academy's expansion and helped grow the university's computer science and cybersecurity programs.

    It also creates a natural pipeline for students to follow. High school students are introduced to computer science through the GenCyber Warrior Academy at UNG, earn a degree at UNG and then go on to find a career in the field.

    "And there are jobs in computer science in north Georgia," Payne said.

    Contact the Author

    Cyber students excel on national level

    Cyber students excel on national level

    UNG cybersecurity students achieved impressive performances in competition and research events throughout the spring semester.
    Event highlights impact of Cumming Campus

    Event highlights impact of Cumming Campus

    UNG hosted its inaugural Cumming Campus Backyard Bash on May 11. The event showcased the campus's impact and offered the community a chance to see progress on the campus expansion.
    Two business degrees add online option

    Two business degrees add online option

    UNG's Mike Cottrell College of Business is now offering management and technology management bachelor's degrees online in addition to in-person offerings.
    Education students  teach in Spain

    Education students teach in Spain

    UNG seniors Karen Anaya, Jenny Gault and Olivia Harden are studying abroad this spring for three months in Valencia, Spain, through the College of Education.

    UNG Logo
    • Contact Us
    • Request Information
    • Quick Facts
    • Campus Maps & Directions
    • Student Consumer Information
    • Campus Safety
    • Emergency Information
    • Employment/HR
    • UNG Policies & Procedures
    • UNG Alumni Association
    • UNG Foundation
    • Ethics & Compliance Hotline
    • Human Trafficking Notice
    • Equal Empl. Opportunity

    © 2023 The University System of Georgia and the University of North Georgia.

    UNG follows the section 508 Standards and WCAG 2.0 for web accessibility. If you require this content in another format, please send an email to the ADA Coordinator.

    Use of military-themed imagery does not constitute endorsement by the U.S. Department of Defense.

    • Accreditation
    • Accessibility
    • Privacy Policy
    Establishing Connection...
    AskNigel