CIRI Summer Research Team Member Spotlight: Ederson Mazariego

This summer, the Critical Infrastructure Resilience Institute (CIRI) is hosting research teams as part of the DHS Summer Research Teams (SRT) Program for Minority Serving Institutions. This ten-week program is a collaboration between three different universities and UIUC. Three groups of faculty and students will conduct research projects throughout the summer and host a virtual research workshop on August 3. Meet this week's team member spotlight, Ederson Mazariego!

Where are you from?

I'm from New York attending Mercy College in Westchester County. 

What is your major and why are you interested studying/working in your field of study?

My major is Cybersecurity. I chose this field of study because of my interest in the security of technology. The field of tech is in a constant state of evolution and is always advancing, which often causes security to lag behind. New ways of breaching sensitive information constantly pop up. Being in this field, I'm learning and developing new ways that these issues can be mitigated, whether they be on the technical or physical side. 

What are you wanting to gain from your experience?

What I want to gain is knowledge. From researching our proposal to hearing feedback from others, information and ideas from different perspectives can assist in achieving what we set out for. I also look forward to networking with others studying in the same field. 

What kind of work would you like to do in the future?

Currently I do not have a specific line of work in mind other than taking a government position in the beginning and later on work in the private sector. 

What other plans do you have for the future?

I plan to take certification exams and potentially pursue a PhD in Cybersecurity.

Do you have any hobbies? Does this activity relate to your studies or influence what you want to do with your future?

In my free time I enjoy playing video games and keeping up with current events, especially in the tech field.