Student & Alumni Stories
Securing the Future: Joshua Alwin’s Cybersecurity Journey at MAGE
For Maryland Applied Graduate Engineering student Joshua Alwin, the decision to pursue a graduate degree with MAGE was rooted in a clear career goal: becoming a leader in cybersecurity. “UMD’s MAGE program stood out because of its cutting-edge curriculum and its designation as a National Center of Academic Excellence by the NSA,” he explains. “The courses are incredibly industry-relevant and aligned perfectly with where I want to go professionally.”
Joshua’s time in the program has already been marked by academic achievement and meaningful contributions to the MAGE community. Maintaining a 4.0 GPA across his first two semesters, he also earned a Teaching Assistantship for a Cloud Security course, which is a subject close to his heart. “That was a proud moment for me,” he says. “Being a TA pushed me to understand the material more deeply and taught me how to clearly communicate complex ideas. The MAGE faculty truly impressed me with their industry expertise and commitment to student success.”
His academic journey has included challenges, too, particularly in ENPM809V: Advanced Hacking and Embedded Systems. “That course pushed me way out of my comfort zone,” Joshua recalls. “But through a combination of self-study, collaboration with peers, and guidance from my professor, I ended up succeeding and growing both technically and personally.”
Outside the classroom, Joshua is gaining real-world experience through a highly competitive internship at Google (Mandiant) as a Security Consultant Intern on the Red Team. He landed the role through proactive networking and early applications—advice he readily offers to other MAGE students. “Summer internships are the best time to fully immerse yourself without the distraction of coursework,” he says. “Apply early—fall is key!”
At Google, Joshua is contributing to offensive security efforts by developing tools to enhance social engineering capabilities, particularly for phishing simulations. “It’s been an incredible experience and a dream opportunity,” he says. “There’s still a month left, and I’m excited to uncover more vulnerabilities and complete my project successfully.”
As he looks toward graduation and beyond, Joshua credits MAGE with helping him build the knowledge, network, and confidence to thrive in a fast-paced, high-stakes field. “Returning as a TA and taking on advanced coursework has strengthened my foundation. The program’s industry connections helped me land my internship, and I’m confident that MAGE will continue to shape my path to a fulfilling cybersecurity career.”
Real-World Impact, MAGE-Built Foundation: Alumni’s Contributions to AI Research
Recent MAGE M.Eng. in Robotics graduate Aryan Mishra’s research journey has already made an impact in the machine learning and statistical community with the submission of his paper, "Schreier-Coset Graph Propagation," to the 39th Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems (NeurIPS 2025) for review. The publication stems from a year-long collaboration with Dr. Lizhen Lin, professor in the Department of Mathematics and Director of the Department of Statistics at the University of Maryland. Rooted in both his ENPM808 Advanced Topics in Engineering, Independent Study Project course and extended research under Dr. Lin’s mentorship, Aryan's paper addresses the challenge of "over-squashing" in graphical data, offering a novel method to improve message-passing algorithms through mathematical processing.
Aryan credits MAGE as a critical launchpad for his continued success. His robotics coursework, mentorship, and research opportunities through MAGE not only supported his publication but also helped him secure a research position with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as a Generative AI researcher. He points to the influence of NIST-affiliated UMD professors—Dr. Zeid Kootbally, Dr. Craig Schlenoff, and Dr. Tommy Chang—as pivotal in shaping his research direction toward computer vision and statistical modeling. Plus, a MAGE site visit to NIST in November 2024 that helped pique his interest. Prior to NIST, Aryan conducted innovative work in UMD’s Mechanical Engineering Department, contributing to projects in medical image processing and robotic end-effector design, building the strong interdisciplinary foundation that now informs his advanced research.
Currently, Aryan is contributing to forensic AI applications at NIST, working on image classification, synthetic content detection, and multimodal data analysis. As he prepares to begin his Ph.D. in Mathematical Statistics under Dr. Lin’s guidance, he will deepen his research in biomedical informatics, deep learning, and geometric structural data. His experience at MAGE has not only equipped him with the technical skills that will help him with this next step, but also introduced him to a collaborative research culture that bridges engineering, statistics, and national research initiatives. Aryan’s journey demonstrates how MAGE empowers students to turn academic inquiry into real-world impact.
From the WTO to Silicon Valley: Binny Chopra's Global Journey
For Binny Chopra, success is not just about talent—it’s about perseverance, prioritization, and fearlessly pursuing one’s dreams. A full-time Master of Engineering student at Maryland Applied Graduate Engineering at the University of Maryland, Binny has balanced academics with professional experiences, including a prestigious internship at the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Switzerland. Reflecting on the challenges of managing work, internships, and education, she says, “If something is important enough, you won’t procrastinate—and if you do, it’s worth reassessing your priorities.” Her disciplined mindset and unwavering dedication have allowed her to navigate a rigorous academic and professional journey while staying true to her aspirations.
Her time at the WTO was nothing short of transformative. Living in Geneva for five months, Binny gained a global perspective on trade and governance that she describes as “a surreal experience.” Attending high-level events like General Council meetings and engaging in discussions with international policymakers broadened her understanding in ways that textbooks never could. Now, as she continues her graduate studies in software engineering, she remains steadfast in her ambition to work at a MAANG company in Silicon Valley, where she hopes to thrive in a dynamic and innovative environment.
Binny’s journey has not been without obstacles, but each challenge has reinforced her resilience. From overcoming self-doubt in interviews to navigating the complexities of studying abroad, she has faced every hurdle with determination. Her ultimate motivation? Making her parents proud. She dreams of the day they stand beside her at graduation, witnessing the realization of a goal that once felt distant. “The thought of them proudly saying, ‘My daughter is an Engineer and a graduate from the U.S.’ always gives me goosebumps,” she shares. As she continues to carve out her path, Binny’s story is a testament to courage, hard work, and the power of believing in one’s dreams.
Chaos, Coffee, and Cybersecurity: The Unstoppable Rise of Varaa Kukreti
Balancing a full-time Graduate Assistantship as President of the Graduate Student Government (GSG) and pursuing her M.Eng. in Cybersecurity, Varaa Kukreti thrives on the edge of chaos—with a cup of coffee always in hand. Representing over 11,000 graduate students at the University of Maryland, she manages to juggle leadership duties, academics, extra research projects, and personal demands, all while staying under the 20-hour work limit. “If I weren’t a time-management ninja, I’d crash and burn under the pressure,” Varaa admits, though she insists the only crashes she experiences come from sugar highs and caffeine overloads. Her role may come with challenges, but she proudly calls her assistantship pay her “stress compensation fund,” a well-deserved perk for someone who thrives in the fast lane.
Varaa’s path to Maryland Applied Graduate Engineering (MAGE) was the result of strategic ambition and an unapologetic sense of purpose. “I’ve always been painfully clear about what I want—and, unsurprisingly, I tend to get it,” she says, reflecting on her decision to apply to only two highly competitive graduate programs. MAGE won her over with its cybersecurity-focused coursework and the chance to learn from renowned professors. Her dedication has already paid off: she received a MAGE travel grant to attend a major conference. “Not only did I get to escape my usual routine, but I also had the privilege of representing MAGE and UMD while geeking out over all the ways security gets breached,” she shares, describing the experience as a highlight of her academic journey.
Varaa’s story is one of resilience, humor, and relentless drive. From her first campus job catering football games to returning to the same suite a year later as GSG President, she’s embraced every challenge head-on. “It’s basically my very own ‘rags to riches’ story—except I’m not calling anything an obstacle because, frankly, I love starting at rock bottom,” she says, her signature humor shining through. As a woman in cybersecurity, she faces the occasional boundary-pusher but focuses on the cerebral equality the field offers. Looking ahead, she dreams of becoming the “super genius mad scientist who revolutionized cybersecurity,” imagining a world where hackers pause to slow clap before attempting to break her defenses. Until then, she’s fueled by ambition, caffeine, and an unwavering goal: “I’m diving headfirst into a PhD because conquering the impossible is where I thrive.”