Bianca Ionescu, Christian Rodriguez, Arturo Roman, and Ashley Hernandez (all Information Systems and UNLV Cyber Clinic), had the opportunity to meet with The White House Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD) while they were in town for multiple cybersecurity/hacker conferences taking place in Las Vegas. They joined additional UNLV Cyber Clinic students, College of Southern Nevada students and Nevada Help Desk interns for round-table sessions with ONCD Director Harry Coker and Assistant Director Seeyew Mo to discuss what is driving students into cybersecurity and what challenges they face in the field. 

Students were able to share their experiences and give direct input to the top decision makers in the country.

According to Coker, there are more than 500,000 cybersecurity jobs open across the country, 4,000 in the state of Nevada. Getting a diversity of students from various educational backgrounds engaged in the field is paramount to closing the job gap and protecting the nation.