At The University of Tulsa’s Oklahoma Cyber Innovation Institute (OCII), three women are shaping the future of cybersecurity education, research and workforce development. Their paths into the field are distinct, but each reflects a blend of resilience, curiosity and commitment to the cyber field.
Bristie Rahman – Security Compliance Analyst & Cybersecurity Student
For Bristie Rahman, a cybersecurity senior from Sapulpa and security compliance analyst at OCII, her interest in cyber began the moment she came to campus. She arrived as a first-year student with no technical experience, but UTulsa’s hands-on approach quickly set her journey in motion.
“I got to take advanced classes like radio frequency reverse engineering as a freshman. By my sophomore year, I was working part-time as a security operations center analyst,” she said.
Her work at OCII has accelerated her growth. From contributing to GreenUAS certification and penetration testing bots to supporting educational outreach, she credits the technical rigor and the supportive leadership with shaping her development. On those who inspired her, she mentioned Preston Smith, security control assessor of OCII, for his mentorship and teaching.
“He really trained me and made sure I understood what I was doing,” she said. “More than anything, he’s a truly kind person.”
Rahman’s studies span incident response, malware analysis, digital forensics, authentication systems and systems design. Her favorite project involved building a full Proxmox environment, conducting penetration tests on workstations and having Suricata alerts triggered from the ground up. Outside class, she’s pursuing a GenAI nanodegree through the nonprofit Girls Who Code.
“Most of the opportunities I’ve gotten weren’t because I was super technical,” she said. “People remember when you’re curious.”
Despite moments of burnout, she said the journey is deeply rewarding thanks in part to professors who shaped her growth.
Tywania Griffin – Director of Educational Programming
For Tywania Griffin, director of educational programming at OCII, the program represented an opportunity to combine purpose with momentum. Previously a high school principal, she was drawn to the institute’s statewide vision of expanding cybersecurity readiness, building a pipeline of cyber-aware citizens.
“This wasn’t just another university initiative,” said Griffin, who is married to a UTulsa computer science alumnus. “It was a bold, statewide effort to strengthen Oklahoma’s cybersecurity resilience.”
Griffin leads the development of hands-on cybersecurity experiences for learners of all ages. Her team designs classroom projects, teacher trainings, camps and curriculum materials including a free high school cybersecurity curriculum that’s being implemented in nine Oklahoma schools so far.
“Seeing students gain confidence and teachers feel empowered reminds me why this work matters,” she said.
Griffin encouraged women in technology fields to follow the feeling of discovering more: “Curiosity will take you places you didn’t know existed. It takes courage to pivot careers or ask for help. Surround yourself with people who see your potential.”
Amorita Christian – Cyber Studies Doctoral Student
For Cyber Fellow Amorita Christian, UTulsa and OCII offered the perfect pathway into the next chapter of her career. With a background in software engineering and IT management, she wanted a program that could support her goal of earning a doctorate in cyber studies while positioning her for long-term contributions to the field. After meeting some UTulsa faculty, Christian knew the university would be the ideal place.
“Both programs presented clear pathways toward fulfilling my dream of earning a Ph.D.,” she said.
Her research focuses on the cyber-physical security of the water and wastewater systems sector of critical infrastructure, an area she has been connected to since childhood.
“I grew up around water treatment facilities,” she said. “I never expected to come full circle and directly contribute to securing our nation’s critical infrastructure.”
Through OCII and the Cyber Fellows program, she gained hands-on experience with programmable logic controllers, drones and robotics as well as access to industry networks essential to her work. Her research has led to internships with the National Computer Forensics Institute, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Idaho National Laboratory and OCII itself.
Christian emphasized that students should know their goals, embrace change and maintain a balance between life and research.
“Success in a doctoral program is built on two pillars: your inner circle of family, friends and your adviser,” she said. “Support from those two pillars can determine whether you finish, so choose wisely.”
Honoring women advancing cyber innovations
Across OCII, women like Rahman, Griffin and Christian are pushing boundaries in classrooms, research labs and statewide initiatives that shape Oklahoma’s future in cybersecurity. For more information about OCII, visit its website here.