Computer engineering student builds cybersecurity solutions for Joby Aviation

For cybersecurity intern and UC Santa Cruz student Shipra Ithal, the most rewarding part of her summer experience at local aircraft company Joby Aviation was watching something she created come to life. 

“At Joby Aviation, the projects I worked on were being used and actually made an impact,” she said. “Being part of that, and solving complex problems, was super fulfilling.”

Ithal is graduating from UC Santa Cruz in fall 2024 with a degree in computer engineering. Over the summer, she developed both a network intrusion detection system and a web proxy server for Joby Aviation, a company that develops low-noise electric aircraft. 

Although she didn’t have previous experience in cybersecurity, her academic concentration in computer networking provided a strong access point, and she especially enjoyed gaining expertise in web proxy configuration. Progressive accomplishments, along with positive reinforcement, motivated her past the steep learning curve of the first month.

“I was scared I was asking too many questions to my manager, but he was incredibly helpful,” Ithal said. “Taking on two projects was daunting, but I was able to finish both of them.”

Shipra participated in this internship via the CITRIS Workforce Innovation Program, a workforce development effort funded by the state of California and led by the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society and the Banatao Institute (CITRIS). 

This program places students from the four CITRIS campuses at Berkeley, Davis, Merced and Santa Cruz with industry, academic and nonprofit hosts for eight-week paid internships in emerging areas of technology innovation. The program especially encourages those from underrepresented groups in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields, including people who identify as women, first-generation college students, and Pell Grant-eligible and undocumented students, to participate.

Read more about how the CITRIS Workforce Innovation helps UC students turn passion into expertise.