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Several members of George Mason University’s Cyber Security Engineering (CYSE) community attended the Northern Virginia Technology Council’s (NVTC) annual Cyber Summit & Cyber50 Awards, a premier event bringing together top cybersecurity professionals, government leaders, and industry innovators.
Having served on the NVTC Steering Committee, Professor Peggy Brouse played a pivotal role in planning and executing the event. She helped shape the agenda and ensured George Mason’s strong representation.
“Many local CISOs [Chief Information Security Officers] and representatives from companies attend as well as government personnel,” Brouse said. “It is a very good event to advertise our program as this is the group who hire our students. I am privileged to have served on the planning committee for several years.”
The summit featured multiple panels, including a standout discussion on “AI Powered Threats and Defenses,” which explored emerging challenges and solutions in cybersecurity. George Mason’s delegation included Sherry Crissman, an associate director in George Mason’s Center of Excellence in Command, Control, Communications, Computing, Cyber, and Intelligence (C5I Center); CYSE department staff Nicole Gray and Rebecca Lane; CYSE department faculty Peggy Brouse and Mingkui Wei; and student representative DJ Strigel, a senior in the BS CYSE program, recipient of the National Science Foundation’s CyberAICorps Scholarship for Service, and President of the Mason Competitive Cyber Club.
Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives and Community Engagement Liza Wilson Durant praised Brouse’s contributions: “Her leadership makes a big difference in George Mason's reputation as a leader in cybersecurity.”
The NVTC Cyber Summit continues to be a vital platform for connecting Mason students and faculty with industry leaders, reinforcing the university’s commitment to advancing cybersecurity education and workforce development.