Cyber Security Student Success (CS3) has been established as a club at Robert Morris University. The purpose of the club is to create a community around peer-to-peer cybersecurity learning opportunities like workshops and competitions. The club is dedicated to empowering members through hands-on learning, professional development, and community outreach. CS3 meets every Monday and Thursday from 4:00pm – 6:00pm in Wheatley 120, so please stop by!
Join CS3 on February 2nd and February 5th from 4:00pm – 6:00pm for their first two labs: “Shodan – Exploiting Exposed Endpoints” and “Tenable Nessus – An Introduction to Vulnerability Scanning”.
RMU Fall 2025 National Cyber League Team Members and Coach
The following 8 students from the RMU National Cyber League (NCL) Team received performance medals from the National Cyber League (NCL) Fall 2025 season competitions held August to November 2025).
Larry Luther (Diamond) Connor Quinn (Diamond) Jesse Marks (Platinum) Peyton Lutchkus (Gold) Grant Carvender (Gold) Chloe Dzuba (Gold) Will Rebello (Silver) Jorge Pinzon (Bronze)
Dr. Ping Wang served as the RMU NCL faculty coach.
Joshua Cunningham (RMU ’25), a graduate of the Ph.D. in Information Systems and Communications program, has been named to the Knox News 40 Under 40 Class of 2025.
Josh is an IT Project Manager leading the United States’ largest multiprogram science and technology lab, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). He notably led the project for ORNL’s first on-site quantum computer. In addition this cutting-edge IT work, Josh also has a diverse work history ranging from wildland firefigher to DJ and Iditarod reporter in Alaska. Read more about Josh and this award here.
We are excited to see Josh’s leadership and contributions recognized. Congrats, Josh!
(L to R) Dr. Ping Wang, Chloe Dzuba, and Peyton Lutchkus
RMU MS Cybersecurity students Peyton Lutchkus and Chloe Dzuba presented posters on their cybersecurity team projects at the national INSuRE (Information Security Research and Education) cybersecurity showcase event held at the Rayburn House Office building in Washington DC on December 3, 2025. Their projects and presentations were supervised by Dr. Ping Wang.
The annual Red Chair Pittsburgh Annual Event was held at the UPMC Events Center on October 23, 2025. This year’s theme was New Horizons: Empowering Women, Shaping What’s Next.
Welcome remarks were given by RMU’s Provost, Dr. Joe Zimmer. This was followed by a keynote given by Kathleen Lovett, VP & CIO of Supply Chain at VSP Vision. This empowering keynote address was followed by a moderated panel discussion that included a panel of inspiring speakers, including the keynote speaker and four others:
Brenasia Ward-Caldwell, CISSP, Senior Solutions Engineer at Microsoft
Dr. Karen Paullet, Professor of CIS at RMU
Jenn Sydeski, Health Tech & Life Sciences Innovator and Strategist
Laura Freedman, Senior Vice President, Wealth Management at Raymond James
The panel was moderated by the talented:
Meesha Gerhart, Founder & CEO, RedTree Web Design
Panel Speakers at Red Chair Pittsburgh 2025 (L to R): Jenn Sydeski, Laura Freedman, Brenasia Ward-Caldwell, Dr. Karen Paullet, Kathleen Lovett, and Meesha Gerhart
A number of RMU students were able to attend, network, and become part of this incredible community supporting women in tech.
Interested in studying abroad while earning academic credit? Visit the FLEAP Fair on Wednesday, October 22nd to explore exciting international opportunities!
The CIS Department is offering two 3-credit courses in Spring 2026 as Faculty-Led Education Abroad Program (FLEAP) experiences:
INFS 3100: Global Perspectives of Information Security
CYBS 4360: Emerging Topics in Cybersecurity
Students will complete coursework in the Spring semester at RMU and then finish the class on an international trip in May 2026, led by the faculty. Past students have studied in destinations like Spain, Portugal, Sweden, and Norway. This year’s adventure takes you to Germany and Belgium!
Come by the FLEAP Fair to learn more and start planning your global experience! If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to Dr. Paullet at paullet@rmu.edu or Dr. Pinchot at pinchot@rmu.edu.
FLEAP Fair Wednesday, October 22, 2025 Wheatley Lobby: 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
RMU is proud to recognize the graduate and doctoral students who presented research at the 2025 International Association for Computer Information Systems (IACIS) Conference in Clearwater, FL in October.
PhD students (L to R): Shadrack Oriaro, Evan Kinney, Amy Kulikowski
Evan Kinney (1st year PhD ISC student) presented Precision Check: A Critical Look at the Reliability of AI Detection Tools, co-authored with Tyler Stewart (1st year PhD student), Dr. Karen Paullet, and Dr. Jamie Pinchot.
Amy Kulikowski (1st year PhD ISC student) presented Protecting the United States Defense Industrial Base against Advanced Persistent Threat Attacks.
Dr. Sushma Mishra and Shadrack Oriaro
Shadrack Oriaro (3rd year PhD ISC student) presented Improving Cybersecurity through Explainable Artificial Intelligence: A Systematic Literature Review, co-authored with Dr. Sushma Mishra.
Peyton Lutchkus (BS/MS Cybersecurity student) and Charley Tyrrell (BS Psychology student) presented Behind the Screen: Pyschological Motivations and Mental Health Issues in Cybercriminal Behavior.
Reese Martin and Chloe Dzuba
Reese Martin (MS Cyber Investigations & Intelligence student) presented Facing Your Digital Footprint on College Campuses, co-authored with Dr. Sushma Mishra.
Chloe Dzuba (BS/MS Cybersecurity student) presented Artificial intelligence in Social Engineering: A Literature Review through the Lens of Routine Activity Theory.
Members of the Top Secret Colonials (TSC) collectively donated $655 to a scholarship fund at RMU. Pictured left are members of TSC presenting a check to club advisor Dr. Karen Paullet at the club’s annual trip to a Pirate Game.
The donation was made to the Craig Paullet Making a Difference Scholarship which is dedicated to helping students in computing majors who are academically talented and economically challenged. The scholarship fund honors Dr. Paullet’s late brother, Craig Paullet, by making a difference in the lives of students who might not otherwise be able to pursue their educational goals. If you would like to give to the fund, you can donate here.
Members and alumni of the club had fun cheering on the Bucs on Friday, May 2, 2025, all while making a difference for future computing students. Thank you, TSC, for this generous donation!
RMU was redesignated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (NCAE-CD) at a special ceremony during the national cybersecurity symposium in Charleston, SC on April 9, 2025.
The redesignation for RMU is based on the BS in Cybersecurity degree program and valid through academic year 2029. The current government sponsors of the NCAE-CD designation are DoD, NSA, CISA, and FBI.
RMU Provost Dr. Joseph Zimmer and NCAE-C Coordinator/PoC Dr. Ping Wang received the NCAE-CD certificate for RMU at the designation ceremony.
Whether you’re working to graduate early, to get caught up, or to make time to focus on a challenging course or professional experience, summer is the perfect time to get what you need. Registration is open now.
Check out the following link to see the summer sessions and courses offered, along with information about summer housing:
CIS @ RMU 