Awards and Honors: February 2025
High Point University student team members who competed in the National Cyber League competition included, from left, Amir Hamidpour, Cole Apke, Giovanni Centofanti, Danny Tandet and Holly Black. Not shown was Rebecca Boorse, who graduated in December 2024.
HIGH POINT, N.C., Feb. 6, 2025 – High Point University students, faculty and staff recently completed service projects and received the following academic and professional awards.
Student Team Earns National Cybersecurity Ranking
HPU students coached by Roger Shore, an associate professor of computer science, recently achieved the university’s highest team ranking at a National Cyber League (NCL) competition when they placed 43rd at the Fall 2024 competition. HPU has participated since 2022 in the NCL competition that contains real-world cybersecurity tasks that professionals perform daily.
HPU’s students earned an overall ranking of 63rd for their performance in individual and other events. The national Cyber Power Rankings included more than 9,260 students from more than 550 colleges and universities.
The NCL helps to reinforce what students have learned about cybersecurity and develop their necessary skills for the workforce. They also earn a skills report that recognizes their abilities and demonstrates their job readiness to employers.
“This nationwide competition makes it publicly known that High Point University offers an excellent degree in cybersecurity,” Shore said. “Companies will take notice of the students that do well in the competition.”
Students Cole Apke, Giovanni Centofanti, Danny Tandet, Holly Black, Amir Hamidpour and Rebecca Boorse were recognized for their outstanding performance. Members of the second HPU team were Dillon Peed, Aniley Garcia, Kamryn Wagner and Gianna Hassig.
Apke, a senior computer science major with a concentration in cybersecurity, said he learned new skills and strategies by participating in NCL competitions. They have helped him with his classes, internships and certifications as he develops as a cybersecurity professional.
“A big part of this competition is to work as a team, and it is an eye-opener each time I have done this to see how people work together and how to manage a team when people clash in ideas and ideologies,” said Apke, who is from Lewis Center, Ohio. “Finding a way to work together efficiently is one thing I hope to be good at as I strive for leadership positions later in my career. I will also be able to show future employers that I have skills already with these tools and will hopefully lead to an easier interview and hiring process. Everything in any sense has taught me a new perspective on how attackers and defenders work when it comes to cybersecurity.”
HPU students’ collaborative effort and dedication to the competition is worthy of praise, said NCL Commissioner David Zelchick.
“It is with our highest recommendation that students from High Point University be recognized for their admirable achievement that showcased their individual skills, collaborative performance and desire to grow and learn as cybersecurity professionals,” Zelchick said. “We would also recommend the recognition of Professor Roger Shore for his dedication, support and encouragement that has enabled the success of the students from High Point University.”
Students Awarded for Research Presentations
Two HPU computer and data science students won awards for their research presentations at the Mid-Southeast Regional Conference on Nov. 14-16, 2024, in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Undergraduate students had the option to present their research with a poster or a paper at the conference.
Alexa Dandrea, a senior dual major in computer science and mathematics, won second place for her poster presentation, “Measuring the Quality of Code Generated by AI Platforms.” She said the experience of presenting research will help with her future education and career plans.
“Receiving acknowledgement for my effort and the passion that I have for the topic provides encouragement and motivation for me to continue my research,” said Dandrea, who is from Summerville, South Carolina. “It shows me that what I am doing is important and can have an impact on the field of computer science. I plan on continuing my education in graduate school, and so having this experience in presenting my own research will be great in preparing to defend my thesis.”
Ky Nguyen, a senior majoring in data science with minors in mathematics and economics, earned third place for her paper presentation, “Optimized Three-Layer Hyperspectral Image Classification Model.”
“The skills I developed through presenting my research will benefit me in graduate school and the workforce, helping me communicate effectively and present my knowledge,” said Nguyen, who is from High Point. “Additionally, the networking opportunities have given me insight into the perspectives of fellow students and introduced me to the work being done in the real world and in graduate studies.”
HPU alumna Rebecca Boorse, who graduated in December 2024, and students Ash Corcoran, Owen Kelly and Sam Zito also presented their research during the conference.
Game Design Major Earns Gilman Scholarship to Study in Japan
Nathaniel Zapata, a sophomore majoring in game design, has received the Gilman Scholarship to study abroad in Kyoto and Osaka, Japan with Professor Stefan Hall’s Maymester “Ganbatte! Adventuring in Japan” course. The Gilman Scholarship is a competitive national award for Pell Grant recipients supported by the U.S. Department of State.
Zapata serves as the congress chair of the Bonner Leaders and is president of HPU’s International Game Developers Association club (IGDA). He expressed excitement to be HPU’s sixth student to receive the Gilman Scholarship and encouraged other eligible Pell Grant recipients to apply.
“Don’t be afraid to apply for the Gilman because the worst they can say is no,” said Zapata, who is from High Point. “And if you don’t apply, you won’t know if it’s a yes.”
HPU’s Office of National Fellowships and Awards helps students develop their applications for the Gilman Scholarship’s annual March and October deadlines. The Gilman Scholarship supports undergraduate students by providing access to study abroad opportunities that help them develop their professional and language skills. Applicants are selected based on their academic preparedness, the impact of the study abroad program on their future careers, the impact they’ll make on the community abroad and their personal background and experience.
“Nate is incredibly deserving of this scholarship,” said Kristina Bell, associate professor of game design and IGDA’s faculty advisor. “He is a talented and prolific game designer. He is constantly teaching himself new skills and programs and works to help others by creating models and game assets for their games in addition to his own. He has demonstrated strong leadership by becoming president of a new organization, and is a sensitive communicator, working to make his student organization and classes inclusive and supportive. I can’t wait to see what Nate does next.”
Cybersecurity Major Competes in U.S. Cyber Challenge
Giovanni Centofanti, a senior cybersecurity major, was selected to compete in the U.S. Cyber Challenge (USCC), which serves as the premier program to identify, attract, train, recruit and place the next generation of cybersecurity professionals into the workforce.
Centofanti was one of 200 students selected to attend a four-day camp, where they were grouped into teams of four for an eight-hour capture-the-flag (CTF) competition. His team won first place for the Western regional, and the top three teams advanced to the U.S. Cyber Bowl, a 24-hour CTF competition in Washington, D.C. Centofanti’s team finished in second place.
“I have learned a great deal from textbooks, lectures and lab; however, competing in the National Cyber League and the U.S. Cyber Challenge propels you into an environment where you utilize the academics and apply it to potential real-life, real-world situations,” said Centofanti, who is from Avon, Connecticut. “This provided me with the opportunity to present my findings to real CEOs and CIOs. The tournaments push you to perform your best under high-pressure time constraints and force you to hack into devices and analyze critical cyber breaches and scenarios.”
During the trip, Centofanti shared dinner with the CEO of The Center for Internet Security and the CIO of the U.S. Department of Defense. He also talked with the U.S. Department of Energy CIO and met recruiters from government agencies, including the FBI and Homeland Security. Those connections have been incredibly inspiring and broadened his understanding of potential career paths in cybersecurity, he said. He is president of HPU’s Cyber Club.
Graduate Student Earns Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award
Amichia Gainey-Jones, an HPU Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) student, and her husband, Dr. A. Bernard Jones, were recently presented the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Gold Award for their years of community service.
Presented by the city council in Fayetteville, North Carolina, the award was accompanied by a Capital building-flown flag from U.S. Congressman Richard Hudson, whom the couple worked with during a military and civilian food insecurities event. The couple said they were humbled by the award for their overseas missions work with HIV-positive women and orphans, rubber tree farmers, U.S. military families and government officials in Kenya, Jamaica, Cote d’Ivoire and Belgium.
“To me, this recognition is a testament of God in us for the lives we’ve touched in improving health outcomes and the motivation we’ve given toward empowering individuals to initiate positive change within their communities,” Gainey-Jones said. “To have witnessed the smiles and expressions of restored hope, belief and joy will forever be the why behind my creation and implementation of programs and services that will change the trajectory of health disparities experienced across historically marginalized communities. The national honor, coupled with an MHA from this prestigious institution, will provide me with more opportunities for career advancement in the healthcare industry while allowing me to pursue my goal of becoming a well-vested and balanced, community-oriented healthcare executive.”