Student earns DOD Cyber Scholarship

December 6, 2021

For the fourth year in a row, a University of North Georgia (UNG) student has received the Department of Defense (DOD) Cyber Scholarship.

Dating back to 2018-19, UNG students have won nine DOD Cyber Scholarships in a four-year span, including three each year in 2019-20 and 2020-21.

Fewer than 150 students nationwide were awarded these scholarships for 2021-22. UNG's recipient will receive funds for three years, including two years of graduate school, that cover tuition, fees and books. Recipients also receive a $25,000 stipend for a laptop and living expenses, and that increases to $30,000 annually in graduate school.

For UNG's recipient, the scholarship pays for internships each summer and guarantees a job with the DOD for three years upon graduation. The DOD Cyber Scholarship is "designed to encourage the recruitment of the nation's top cyber talent and the retention of DOD personnel who have skills necessary to meet DOD's cyber requirements and help secure our nation against threats of information systems and networks," according to the DOD website.

Dr. Bryson Payne, professor of computer science in the Mike Cottrell College of Business and coordinator of student cyber programs, is the principal investigator for the DOD Cyber Scholarship at UNG.

"This year's scholarship winner has been an active part of the past two NSA Codebreaker Challenge championship teams from UNG," Payne said of the recipient. "And we're proud to have her going to work at DOD after graduation."

Because of the National Security Agency's (NSA) security requirements, the recipients' names are not released. Payne was allowed to release general facts about the scholar.

She is a senior pursuing degrees in computer science and cybersecurity and is part of the Cyber Leadership Scholars Program. The recipient also serves as a mentor to middle school and high school girls, as well as to her younger UNG peers. She has received the Zell Miller Scholarship, Herbert Robertson Scholarship and the UNG Merit Scholarship.

The recipient expressed gratitude to Payne for encouraging her to apply and the DOD for giving her this opportunity.

"It's great knowing there is someone out there believing in you, cheering you on, and supporting you," she said.

Recognized by the NSA and Department of Homeland Security, UNG is a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense.

Applications are open for the 2022-23 DOD Cyber Scholarship, and student submissions are due by Feb. 1, 2022. For more information on how to apply, contact Payne at bryson.payne@ung.edu or visit UNG's DOD Cyber Scholarship page.