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<\/p>\nEngineering student cohort now serving El Paso organizations <\/p>\n
EL PASO, Texas (Jan. 30, 2026) \u2013 The University of Texas at El Paso\u2019s Miners Cybersecurity Clinic has reached a major milestone, completing the first year of students delivering free cybersecurity services to local El Paso organizations. \n<\/p>\n
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John Wiebe, Ph.D. (left), UTEP provost and vice president for academic affairs, and Monika Akbar, Ph.D. (right), faculty lead and director of the Miners Cybersecurity Clinic, presented a framed photo of the clinic\u2019s inaugural cohort to Paige Godvin (center), a security consultant for Google, during a press conference on Jan. 30, 2026, on the UTEP campus to celebrate the completion of the clinic\u2019s first full operational cycle. The Miners Cybersecurity Clinic was established in 2024 through $1 million in funding from Google\u2019s Cybersecurity Clinics Fund. \n<\/p>\n
The completion of the clinic\u2019s first full operational cycle, with an inaugural cohort of nine College of Engineering students, represents a significant step toward the clinic\u2019s goal of training more than 100 students and assisting nearly 30 community organizations by 2030.<\/p>\n
Established in 2024 through $1 million in funding from Google\u2019s Cybersecurity Clinics Fund<\/a>, the Miners Cybersecurity Clinic connects learning with hands-on practice to strengthen the readiness of local organizations for cybersecurity threats, including some that often lack the resources to address growing digital concerns. Through this first cycle, students completed specialized training and are now delivering cybersecurity risk assessments, policy reviews and actionable recommendations to participating local entities at no cost.<\/p>\n \u201cThis milestone represents exactly what the Miners Cybersecurity Clinic was designed to do \u2013 prepare our students for real-world cybersecurity careers while directly serving our community,\u201d said Monika Akbar, Ph.D., faculty lead and director of the Miners Cybersecurity Clinic. \u201cOur inaugural cohort has demonstrated technical rigor, collaborative spirit and a strong commitment to public service, and their work is already making a meaningful impact across El Paso.\u201d<\/p>\n The clinic focuses on three core goals: training future cybersecurity experts; serving local organizations including small businesses, nonprofits and schools; and building long-term cyber resilience throughout the region. Students gain experience in cybersecurity risk assessment, security policy and workflow evaluation, and client-facing communication while working under the supervision of faculty and industry mentors.<\/p>\n The initiative is supported by Google.org<\/a> \u2013 the company\u2019s philanthropic arm \u2013 as part of its broader effort to strengthen cybersecurity capacity and workforce development nationwide.<\/p>\n \u201cCybersecurity is a shared responsibility, and community-based clinics like UTEP\u2019s play a vital role in expanding access to protection while developing the next generation of cyber professionals,\u201d said Maab Ibrahim, head of economic opportunity at Google.org. \u201cWe are proud to support the Miners Cybersecurity Clinic as it completes its inaugural cycle and begins delivering real-world impact for students and organizations in El Paso.\u201d<\/p>\n The inaugural cohort includes:<\/p>\n
For many of these students, the experience represents their first opportunity to apply classroom knowledge to real organizations facing real cybersecurity risks.<\/p>\n \u201cThis clinic was a great organization to be a part of. I feel as though I gained irreplaceable experience by conducting in-person client interviews and by having the opportunity to create real-world risk assessment reports based on their cybersecurity profile,\u201d said Alejandro Flores, a member of the inaugural cohort.<\/p>\n \u201cMy interest in cybersecurity began back in high school when a ransomware attack disrupted the small business where a family member of mine worked,\u201d junior Emily Fernandez said. \u201cAs a member of this clinic, I had the opportunity to transform that passion into action by working directly with local businesses.\u201d<\/p>\n The Miners Cybersecurity Clinic is part of the international Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics<\/a>, a network of universities dedicated to strengthening local cyber resilience worldwide. UTEP is also a member of the Computing Alliance of Hispanic-Serving Institutions.<\/p>\n
\nAreli B. Agudo-Garcia, senior, computer science
\nBraulio J. Banuelos, master\u2019s, software engineering
\nEmily K. Fernandez, junior, computer science
\nAlejandro Flores, senior, computer science
\nThomas N. Guerra, senior, computer science
\nPablo E. Hernandez, senior, computer science
\nFrida M. Pena, junior, computer science
\nDang Pham, senior, computer science
\nAntonio Rivera, junior, computer science
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