UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Joshua D’Ottavio, a College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) and World Campus student at Penn State, was named an RSA Conference (RSAC) Security Scholar. This designation afforded him the opportunity to join thousands of cybersecurity professionals at the 32nd annual RSAC last month in San Francisco.
D’Ottavio, who serves as a lead engineer for the technology consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton, earned his bachelor’s degree in security and risk analysis in cybersecurity from Penn State in 2021. He said he was encouraged by his advisers and research professors to continue his education and opted to pursue a master’s degree in homeland security online through Penn State World Campus.
World Campus offers 15 homeland security graduate programs. D’Ottavio’s focus is information security and forensics, which prepares graduates for careers in systems integration, information security and digital forensics, intelligence analysis, and more. He expects to complete a master of professional studies in August and has been accepted to the World Campus Doctor of Engineering in Engineering program, which he will begin in the fall.
“The courses within the Homeland Security – Information Security and Forensics program granted me an enriched understanding of the functioning of our government and its perspectives regarding policy formation,” D'Ottavio said of his master’s degree program. “Those classes were enlightening, and I grew from the new perspectives they granted me.”
As the only College of IST student selected to attend, D'Ottavio said he was honored to represent Penn State at RSAC, where he interacted with cybersecurity leaders and fellow security scholars through career-advancing workshops and sessions.
"The conference's array of cultural richness and domain-specific expertise was remarkable," D’Ottavio said. "The opportunity to interact with individuals who brought diverse viewpoints to a common topic was truly enlightening. This experience underscored the transformative potential of diversity in collaborative settings, particularly its capacity to fuel innovation."
D’Ottavio, a first-generation American and retired U.S. Army infantryman, said he was grateful for the invaluable experience offered by RSAC and hopes his story will inspire others.
“Achieving this remarkable milestone has not only instilled within me a profound sense of gratitude for the comprehensive education and numerous opportunities facilitated by Penn State,” he said, “but it has also ignited a desire to pursue even more ambitious accomplishments.”