New Graduate Receives NSF Scholarship

July 15, 2012

PATCHOGUE, NY JULY 16, 2012 St. Josephs College (SJC) is pleased to announce that Meghan Caiazzo 12, who recently graduated from its Long Island Campus with a double major in Mathematics and Computer Science, has received the A Scholarship for Service Partnership for Interdisciplinary Research and Education (ASPIRE) award from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

The ASPIRE scholarship is offered by New York University to students entering into undergraduate, graduate or doctoral programs in the critical up-and-coming field of cybersecurity. Applicants must have a well-rounded educational background with a solid academic foundation and show a passion for information security and a commitment to national public service.

Ms. Caiazzo has been accepted into the esteemed M.S. in Cybersecurity program at the Polytechnic Institute of New York University, where she will begin classes in the upcoming fall semester. There, she will receive full tuition, as well as a $25,000 annual academic stipend funded by Federal Cyber Securitys Scholarship for Service program.

"Meghan is intelligent, highly motivated and a woman of integrity, said S. Jane Fritz, professor of mathematics and computer science on the Long Island Campus. "She is uniquely qualified for a program in cybersecurity, since she has a strong mathematical background as well as problem solving and computer programming skills. These [skills] will be an asset to her as she prepares for a career with areas ranging from homeland security to computer forensics.

While attending SJC, Ms. Caiazzos commitment to academic excellence earned her summa cum laude distinction, departmental honors and helped grant her membership to the Sigma Iota Chi, Upsilon Pi Epsilon and Kappa Mu Epsilon national honor societies.

The ASPIRE award from the NSF fosters students strong technical training and a security mindset while looking past technology to resolve problems. As part of the Federal Scholarship for Service program, recipients will develop a sense of leadership, community service and good citizenship as they prepare to take on some of the most demanding challenges of our time.