UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology will honor Nandita Suresh as student marshal at fall 2021 commencement, which will be held at 9 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 18, in the Bryce Jordan Center.

“Being a student marshal is in one word, unbelievable,” she said. “There are so many bright, hardworking students here at the College of IST, and being able to represent our class is one of the most gratifying and humbling experiences of my life.”

Suresh will earn a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity analytics and operations with a focus in law and policy, graduating cum laude after seven semesters. She achieved the dean’s list in each of her semesters at Penn State. She was the vice president of Women in Information Sciences and Technology, through which she co-founded and lead the mentorship program, and in 2019 she was selected to attend the Grace Hopper Celebration, the world’s largest gathering of women in computing. She also completed a security internship with GetInsured last summer.

“I want to thank my parents and closest friends who have supported me in every single way possible, and for that, they have all my love and appreciation,” she said. “Without them, I would have never stepped out of my comfort zone and pursued the very things that have made me successful today.”

At IST, she conducted research on the modern space race in the college’s Red Cell Analytics Lab, a student organization that promotes the research, practice and application of structured and visual analytics with critical thinking through real-world problems. Suresh’s research entailed identifying and evaluating the Cold War Space Race and various militarized space programs around the globe, aiming to create "indicators and warnings" for future space militarization.

“I attribute my success in the College of IST to always approaching things with curiosity, genuine interest, and the desire to do good,” she said. “Even when things got difficult, I wholeheartedly believed in the purpose of my goals and just did my very best. I also found that fostering organic relationships with my peers and faculty and contributing to a positive environment made me successful.”

After graduation, Suresh will work at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in Boston as a cyber, privacy and forensics technology consulting associate and hopes to pursue a master’s degree in cyber law.