“Fiona’s list of accomplishments is so long, and stretches back so far, that it makes me question how I spent my time in high school and college,” says professor and director of the BS in cybersecurity program, Christo Wilson. In addition to graduating Summa Cum Laude with a major in cybersecurity and minor in political science, Fiona McCrae made herself an invaluable asset to the Northeastern community and will undoubtedly do the same in her post-graduate endeavors.

Shortly after beginning her freshman year, McCrae secured a spot on the highly competitive Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (CCDC) team. In 2019, the team was a local winner in the DOE CyberForce competition at Brookhaven National Laboratory; and in 2020 when the competition went remote, McCrae individually ranked 20th out of 400 competitors. Every year, the team qualified for the Northeast Regional CCDC competitions, and in 2022, the team was one of only 10 schools in the country to attend Nationals in San Antonio.

She was also on the e-board the NU Security Club and a member of the Khoury Student Advisory Board. In all her activities, McCrae says, “Having the chance to interact with younger cybersecurity students to help form a community within the major has been something I am so proud to have contributed to, even if there is no concrete landmark event for that.”

She also brilliantly worked two competitive co-ops in cyber resiliency at MITRE in Bedford, Massachusetts, where has she is now working as a cybersecurity engineer. During her co-ops there, she helped develop pen test software and payloads for satellites and attended testing for Satellite Penetration Evaluation and Environment Demonstration (SPEED). She has also contributed to the development of research papers and policy-related briefings for government officials during her time at MITRE.

McCrae’s contributions to NU extend beyond cybersecurity. She was the events coordinator for CoSMO, the computer science mentoring organization that works to connect students across the discipline. She was also a teaching assistant for Discrete Structures, Foundations of Cybersecurity, and Object-Oriented Design. Professor Jason Hemann worked with McCrae in 2020 and says, “She went out of her way to create detailed guides and documentation to help students learn better in this new modality. When there’s a problem lurking, or a solution that needs to be implemented, Fiona steps up.”

Without legal and political guidance based on the needs of people using technology, there is no way to define what and how we need to secure technology. On the other hand, without a technological understanding, we can’t make and act out laws and policies that are realistic or helpful for the people that rely on, use, and protect technology

“Fiona’s warm, outgoing, witty, strong, personable, dependable, and honest,” Professor Hemann says. “She’s the kind of person that other people want to be around.”

Going forward, she hopes to remain connected to both the technical and legal aspects of cybersecurity. In her words, “Without legal and political guidance based on the needs of people using technology, there is no way to define what and how we need to secure technology. On the other hand, without a technological understanding, we can’t make and act out laws and policies that are realistic or helpful for the people that rely on, use, and protect technology.”

Initially drawn to Northeastern by his family’s connection to the university, Ismael Sanchez says his curiosity was ignited when he discovered Khoury College’s cybersecurity program. Now, through co-ops and mentorship, he’s being encouraged to explore and deepen his passion for the field.

If you want to do the switch to cyber, you’re at the right school. … These other schools, they give you the four-year degree, but they don’t give you the experience. And Northeastern gives you the experience

Ismael Sanchez, BSCY

After receiving her BFA from the Fashion Institute of Technology, Samantha Olinsky found herself working on apps and websites, and wanting to understand how to build them herself. After graduating from the Align program, she has flourished in a new career chapter via her software engineering work at Atalssian.

The Align program really helped prepare me for the real world in a way that you only can hope a
program will do. I felt like the skills and the programs and the languages that I was being exposed to in classes are things … I’m already using

Samantha Olinksy, Align MSCS ’24

When Logan Stanhope was in high school, her dad encouraged her to pursue computer science to bridge her passions for math and problem solving. Now at Khoury College, she’s found a supportive community that’s helped her build confidence while she gains new skills in these areas.

Being able to look up to a role model who was my professor and who was also a woman gave me a lot of confidence in what I was doing and that I actually belonged here

Logan Stanhope, BSCS ’26

For Eddie Wang, instant feedback is key. As a mechanical engineer, long project cycles made it tough to receive feedback on his work, but his satisfaction was met when he started coding software. Now, through the Align program, he’s completed impactful internships at Meta, Amazon, and SAP Concur, allowing him to transition into tech with ease.

The Align [network] is a very good resource while you are looking for different jobs. … Don’t be afraid of new things, and you will be more and more confident in future jobs

Eddie Wang, Align MSCS ’18

For Andrew Lucia, the biggest draw of Khoury College was the co-op program. Securing a co-op with cybersecurity company K logix helped him find footing in his career early, bolstering his confidence and leading to his first job out of college as a penetration tester.

It was kind of crazy to actually see myself now compared to when I arrived — all the stuff I just feel comfortable doing. … Computer science can be a tricky field, but you got to stick with it, and if you do, you’re going to find success that way

Andrew Lucia, BSCY ’22

As a GIS specialist at the National Park Service, Kris Barnes knew he was programming, but he didn’t understand the deeper systems at play. Through the Align program, he got the opportunity to delve into the world of software, and now he’s looking forward to graduating with a new degree.

You have dance majors, econ majors, finance majors all coming together that want to learn something… That helps us go into the field and say, ‘oh yeah, let’s think about this differently

Kris Barnes, Align MSCS ’23

Sommer Harris thought it was too late for her to pursue a career in tech. But as part of Khoury College’s Align program, she’s found the supportive community of staff, faculty, and students helped her push through the challenges of entering a field she never thought she could access.

It was kind of unimaginable to me, getting a computer science co-op and then eventually getting a full-time job. But it does happen, and if you keep working and take advantage of the resources, it will happen

Sommer Harris, Align MSCS ’22

For a time, Katie Lowen was touring internationally as a contemporary dancer. But when the pandemic closed down theaters, she sought another avenue to develop herself. Now, earning her master’s in computer science through the Align program in Vancouver, Katie finds herself immersed in a career path she’d never imagined.

I thought if I could work as a contemporary dance artist and also be able to do things on the technical side, it would open the doors [for me] in the arts world

Katie Lowen, Align MSCS ’23

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