Fowler Master’s Student Awarded Scholarship for Her AI-Based Cybersecurity Research
Tianyi Zhu, a student in the Master of Science in Cybersecurity Management (MSCM) program at the Fowler College of Business at San Diego State University, was recently awarded the 2024 – 25 Master’s Research Scholarship by the university’s College of Graduate Studies.
The $10,000 award is designed to fund Zhu’s research, which focuses on using artificial intelligence (AI) to improve cyber defense systems.
Zhu was nominated for the scholarship by the faculty in Fowler’s cybersecurity management program for her “strong academic record and research, scholarship and creative activity.”
“I am genuinely pleased and humbled to be named the recipient of this prestigious scholarship,” said Zhu. “I plan to use the funding to gain a better understanding of developing AI and machine learning applications that improve cyber defense systems, with a specific focus on data poisoning attacks.”
Zhu’s faculty mentor and the supervisor of her cybersecurity research, SDSU management information systems professor, Shengjie Xu, is working with her to complete a peer-reviewed research paper and a presentation that will be made to the San Diego chapter of Women in Cybersecurity during the fall of 2024.
“Tianyi has demonstrated an impressive level of technical expertise, creativity and problem-solving skills throughout her research activities,” said Xu. “One of the most remarkable aspects of Tianyi’s work has been her commitment to solving urgent problems and being able to quickly pivot and adapt to the ever-evolving cybersecurity landscape. Her work has the potential to significantly impact the ability of systems to detect and deflect sophisticated cyber threats.”
