Two DSU students named RSAC Security Scholars
November 26, 2025
Two Dakota State University students, Catherine Hoier and Paige Phinney, have been selected for the highly competitive RSAC Security Scholars.
The annual RSAC Conference brings together the world’s cybersecurity professionals to discuss current and future industry concerns. The event attracts over 40,000 people, including hundreds of speakers, exhibitors, and media attendees. The RSAC 2026 Conference will take place in San Francisco, March 23-26, 2026.
Hoier, a graduate student earning a master’s degree in computer science with a focus in AI, and Phinney, who will graduate with a cyber operations degree in December and begin work on her master’s in cyber defense in the spring, were nominated by Dr. Ashley Podhradsky, vice president for Research & Economic Development.
“We are grateful to Cecilia Marinier, Vice President of Innovation & Scholars at RSAC, for including DSU students in such a prestigious and highly competitive program,” Podhradsky said. “Paige and Cat exemplify the talent, work ethic, and commitment to cybersecurity that define DSU. Their selection reflects their outstanding potential and the strength of our programs.”
“We work closely with Ashley, so it’s nice to see that out of everybody who she sees in MadLabs, she thought of us two to go,” Phinney said.
“Especially when she’s the Vice President of Research & Economic Development,” Hoier added, describing compliments from Podhradsky as the most rewarding feeling, and attending the RSAC Conference as the cherry on top.
The two students are excited for the many opportunities available to them as scholars. As RSAC Security Scholars, Hoier and Phinney will join other undergraduate and graduate students in networking with industry thought leaders while gaining insights into global trends, groundbreaking solutions, and next-generation strategies.
Phinney is excited to explore the Expo Hall, featuring vendors from across the country, and to hear from cybersecurity experts. “I’ve had friends who have gone to it, so I know there are sessions where they talk about cutting-edge technology and emerging threats,” Phinney said.
Hoier is looking forward to hearing from other researchers and learning from them, especially constructive criticism on how to improve her research. Additionally, with an educational focus on AI, Hoier hopes to learn more about Large Language Models (LLMs) and Multimodal Large Language Models (MLLMs), which are deep learning systems that can understand and generate content across modalities such as text, images, audio, and video.
“I can only imagine the amount of research being done and the amount of research that still needs to be done, not only to see how these new technologies can be used to further our cybersecurity, but also what vulnerabilities might already exist in these technologies,” Hoier explained.
The two are appreciative of the many industry opportunities they’ve had as DSU students.
“The opportunities DSU provides us with, to be in the room and have one-on-one conversations with huge decision makers and people who are leading experts in this field, are huge,” Hoier said.
“Just being associated with DSU has provided us a lot of opportunities,” Phinney added.
In fact, attending conferences is how Hoier learned of Dakota State’s prestigious reputation in cybersecurity. A transfer student, Hoier was surprised to learn that large universities across the country, such as Texas A&M, Stanford, and Carnegie Mellon University, had not only heard of DSU, but also recognized its reputation in cybersecurity.
Throughout the conference, scholars will participate in a variety of activities:
- Participate in a charity-driven team building exercise benefiting The Social Engineering Project
- Listen to speakers from across the globe discuss trends and insights
- Network on the RSAC Expo floor with over 300 companies
- Attend an invitation-only dinner with cybersecurity experts
- Connect and network with program sponsors
- Join RSAC College Day activities
- Attend a closed-door Q&A session with a top government official