Students from Oregon Tech’s Applied Computing & Geomatics (ACG) Department traveled to Missouri State University this spring to compete in America’s Innovate IT Collegiate Conference (AITCC), a national competition featuring hands-on, real-world challenges in information technology and cybersecurity. Oregon Tech students earned multiple top finishes across several events, including first- and third-place awards. Cybersecurity and Information Technology student participants included Gabriel Dearie, Dominik Kuller, Cole Bentley, Max Espinoza, Uriel Aguilar Torres, and Aiden Kimberling. The students were guided by faculty mentors Praveen Kumar Guraja, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Cybersecurity & Information Technology, and Manish Nalluri, Visiting Instructor of Cybersecurity & Information Technology. “It is super cool to really test and apply our knowledge and actually see how far we have come,” said Aiden Kimberling. Aiden and teammate Uriel placed first in the Analyze IT Challenge. “In the Analyze IT Challenge, my teammate and I earned first place by applying data analysis, statistical reasoning, and predictive modeling to a real-world dataset. This success was largely due to the strong foundation we built in our Business Analytics and Finance classes, which helped us approach the problem strategically,” said Uriel Aguilar Torres. “Overall, AITCC was a valuable learning experience that helped me better understand my strengths and areas for improvement.” Full results include: - Analyze IT Challenge - 1st Place: Aiden Kimberling and Uriel Aguilar Torres - 3rd Place: Cole Bentley and Dominik Kuller - Cyber Sentinel Challenge (Capture the Flag) - Honorable Mention: Uriel Aguilar Torres and Dominik Kuller, Aiden Kimberling and Max Espinoza (Top 10) - Troubleshoot IT Challenge - Honorable Mention: Cole Bentley (4th Place) “One thing that stood out to me was how fast the field is constantly evolving,” said Dominik Kuller. “It made it clear that cybersecurity isn’t something you can just learn once; you must keep adapting