Cyber in the Americas: Building Graduate Cyber Security Research for Shared Security

During Summer 2025, a Fulbright Specialist Grant was awarded to Dr. Suzanna Schmeelk, Tenured Associate Professor of Cyber Security, St. John’s University, New York City, to advance graduate cyber security research and curricula capacity across the Americas. The appointment was hosted by the Faculty of Engineering at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras (UNAH) in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. The engagement was led by Dr. Elías Leonardo García Urquía and facilitated through the US Embassy in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, through a US Department of State-funded Fulbright Specialist Program to provide US expertise for the development of a master’s in cybersecurity at UNAH.

Dr. Schmeelk collaborated with UNAH’s Faculty of Engineering while the university was finalizing a dual-modality graduate curriculum in cyber security. This new UNAH Engineering program is among the first of its kind in Central America. Dr. Schmeelk’s contributions drew upon eight advanced technology and cybersecurity degrees, extensive experience directing dual-modality graduate programs, and a professional background that includes patented cybersecurity innovations. At the time, Dr. Schmeelk also leads the dual-modality graduate cyber security M.S. program at St. John’s University, which holds ABET accreditation, NSA CAE validation, and Middle States recognition.

Dr. García Urquía, a disaster-response expert with a Ph.D. from Uppsala University, Sweden, coordinated along with Laura Caunter collaboration between UNAH Engineering, The US Embassy Fulbright, and Dr. Schmeelk. He facilitated Dr. Schmeelk’s guest lectures focused on cyber security research, engineering applications, and student engagement through academic clubs and engineering programs. Faculty retreats, research guest lectureship, Fulbright Alumni Exchange, and campus visits supported deeper collaboration through cultural immersion and exposure to Central American industries. The team also collaborated with regional Fulbright alumni network, including Dr. Servio Palacios. These activities strengthened the foundation for regionally relevant cyber security research and graduate and pipeline cyber curriculum development.

Concurrently, Dr. Schmeelk established graduate cyber security partnerships in South America with Dr. Carlos Moreira and Dr. Guilherme Oliveira of PUC-Campinas, Brazil.

UNAH subsequently joined this initiative, forming a trilateral cyber research collaboration across North, Central, and South America.

At the start of the Fall 2025 term, on return to New York City, students from St. John’s University, UNAH, and PUC-Campinas engaged in a joint cyber research project. Tri-national teams analyzed a recent South American financial-sector cyber incident. Students collaborated across four time zones and three languages: English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Deliverables from the semester long joint research project included secure coding guidelines across languages, research presentations, and structured virtual team-building activities.

Students across all institutions reported measurable growth in cybersecurity research skills, cross-border collaboration, and international regulatory awareness. The initiative addressed urgent international cybersecurity challenges affecting individuals and institutions within and beyond the United States. These efforts contribute to strengthening cyber defenses and disrupting transnational fraud and identity-theft supply chains. Additional collaborations are planned for 2026 and beyond. More information is available at: https://www.stjohns.edu/news-media/news/2026-02-25/cyber-americas-gole-initiative-safeguarding-organizations-and-citizens-through-cyber-security

Current Published Research Articles:

Schmeelk, S. E., & García Urquía, E. L. (2026). Investigating two graduate cyber security curricula in the Americas: National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH) and St. John’s University (SJU). In Proceedings of the 2026 HICE Hawaiian International Conference on Education Conference. https://hiceducation.org

Schmeelk, S., et al. (2026). Cyber in the Americas: A cybersecurity collaborative online international learning research experience (COIL‑RE). Paper presented at the 13th World Congress on Education (WCE 2026), Cambridge, United Kingdom. https://worldconedu.org

 

Dr. Suzanna Schmeelk — Fulbright Cyber Security Specialist; Associate Professor Cyber Security (SJU)

Affiliations: St. John’s University (U.S.), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras (Honduras), PUC‑Campinas (Brazil)