University of Tulsa graduate student Jalen Brown has been selected as a 2026 RSAC Security Scholar, placing him among a national cohort of cybersecurity students invited to the RSA Conference to engage with leading researchers, practitioners, and policymakers.
From Rapid Undergrad to National Scholar
For Jalen Brown, cybersecurity represents a fast-moving discipline demanding contributions to real-world challenges in digital security and cybercrime.
Brown earned his bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity from UTulsa in just two and a half years. He is now pursuing a master’s degree while actively conducting digital forensics research.
That academic trajectory led to his selection as a 2026 RSAC Security Scholar. The competitive program provides students from a select group of universities with an all-expense-paid trip to the RSA Conference.
The 2026 conference drew more than 43,500 attendees from over 100 countries. Within that massive gathering, Security Scholars participate in exclusive networking and professional development tracks tailored for promising students.
Exclusive University Representation
The University of Tulsa stands out in this national initiative.
Out of all institutions across the United States, UTulsa is one of merely 38 chosen for the RSAC Security Scholar initiative, and it holds the distinction of being the sole participating university in Oklahoma. This invitation highlights the national reputation of UTulsa’s School of Cyber Studies and its leadership in cybersecurity education, research, digital forensics, and industry engagement.
Tyler Moore, Ph.D., serves as the Tandy Endowed Chair in Cyber Security and Information Assurance and acts as Brown’s adviser.
“It’s an outstanding opportunity for some of the best and brightest UTulsa cyber students to meet current and future leaders while immersing themselves in the latest technologies and trends in cybersecurity,” Moore noted.
For Brown, a major highlight was engaging directly with leaders across academia, industry, and government.
“One of my biggest takeaways was just how vast the field of cybersecurity truly is,” Brown said. “Speaking with professionals and students from diverse backgrounds, each with their own experiences, interests and expertise, gave me an even greater appreciation for both the field itself and the people whose work continues to shape its future.”
IoT Forensics and System-on-Chip Extractions
Brown’s attendance at the RSA Conference went beyond passive learning. He attended as an active researcher.
His work at UTulsa centers on digital forensics and the analysis of Internet of Things (IoT) devices. As connected technologies integrate deeper into everyday life, securing and investigating them becomes critical.
Backed by funding from the National Computer Forensics Institute (NCFI), Brown conducts extractions on system-on-chips from everyday hardware, evaluates the resulting information, and constructs frameworks to aid upcoming digital forensics examinations.
This work aids broader efforts to enhance the capability of investigators to recover and interpret digital evidence from emerging technologies.
The conference offered a platform to discuss this research with cybersecurity professionals and fellow researchers from across the nation, linking work underway in Tulsa directly to national conversations concerning digital evidence, cybercrime, and cybersecurity resilience.
Experiential Learning at UTulsa
Research functions as just one component of a broader experiential learning framework within UTulsa’s School of Cyber Studies.
Students regularly collaborate with faculty and doctoral researchers, compete in national cyber competitions, gain operational experience via the university’s Security Operations Center, and interface directly with industry and government partners.
“We consciously cultivate opportunities for our students to gain practical experience that complements what they learn in the classroom,” Moore explained. “These experiences help students develop the technical expertise and professional skills needed to become leaders in the field.”
Those operational opportunities have directly influenced Brown’s career trajectory.
“Attending RSAC and having the opportunity to speak with so many accomplished professionals in a personal setting helped me better understand the different career paths within cybersecurity,” Brown said. “Those conversations solidified my decision to pursue a Ph.D. and confirmed that I want to focus my research and career on digital forensics.”
Brown credits UTulsa’s combination of rigorous academics, faculty mentorship, and hands-on research for reaching this juncture.
“The University of Tulsa has an outstanding reputation, so I came in with very high expectations, and it has exceeded them,” he concluded. “Beyond the coursework, the faculty have provided opportunities for hands-on research, professional development and mentorship that have been invaluable in preparing me for the next stage of my career.”
