Marymount University has once again been recognized for its leadership in cybersecurity education, receiving a Department of War DoD Cyber Service Academy (CSA) grant for the 2025–2026 academic year. This marks the second year in a row that Marymount has earned the competitive award, which supports the development of future leaders in the federal cyber workforce.
The CSA program provides one-year scholarships—including tuition, books, technology and a stipend—to students at U.S. institutions designated as National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C). In return, scholars commit to serve for one year at a Department of War DoD location upon graduation.
Marymount’s CSA grant, totaling approximately $233,000, also provides faculty support in addition to scholarships. These overall efforts within the University are managed by Dr. Andrew Hall and Dr. Diane Murphy, faculty members in the School of Technology and Innovation within the College of BILT.
Only 50 students nationwide were selected by the Department of War DoD this year, including two Marymount doctoral candidates—Oluwatobi Babatunde and Jesus Moll Medina. Together, they represent the growing impact of Marymount’s nationally recognized Cybersecurity programs. Babatunde, who will graduate in Fall 2026, has now received the CSA scholarship for the second year in a row.
“It is both a humbling recognition of my academic efforts and a motivating reminder of the importance of continuing my work in advancing cybersecurity,” she said. “I will be working with the Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic Cybersecurity Test & Evaluation Team, supporting efforts to strengthen defense systems.”
Babatunde’s ultimate career goals include advancing into executive leadership as a chief information security officer and giving back to academia as a professor and mentor. She credits Marymount with providing advanced coursework, research opportunities and mentorship that have strengthened both her technical expertise and her ability to teach and inspire others in the field.
Medina, expected to graduate in May 2026, said being chosen for the CSA program reaffirmed his commitment to national security.
“I felt honored and grateful when I learned I had been selected to receive this scholarship,” he explained. “It motivated me to continue working hard toward my academic and professional goals.”
Medina currently serves as an information systems security engineer with ECS Federal, supporting the Marine Corps Community Services in Quantico, Va. with a focus on RMF compliance, vulnerability assessments and implementing technical security controls. His professional path began with his service in the U.S. Army, where he transitioned from criminal justice into IT and was inspired by the critical importance of cybersecurity to national defense. Looking ahead, he hopes to become a chief information officer within the federal government before eventually launching his own business focused on AI-powered security technology.
Faculty leaders emphasize that the success of the Cybersecurity program is fueled by the University’s strategic location and academic strengths, demonstrating Marymount’s vital role as a pipeline for cybersecurity talent in the service of national security.
“We are closely aligned with federal employment in this area, and we have a really strong program at all three levels—undergraduate, master’s and doctoral,” Dr. Hall explained. “This field is growing so fast, and what you need to know is changing every day. Most of our graduate courses are taught by people who are doing the work daily and bringing that into the classroom, and our graduate students are sharing their own professional experiences as well. That constant exchange keeps the curriculum cutting-edge and ensures our undergraduates benefit from the latest insights in the field.”
