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Students selected as SAGE-STEM scholars will receive economic, academic and professional support, pending maintaining eligibility that covers the following:

• Academic-year stipends of $10,000 per year for five years.
• Professional mentorship with EECS faculty aligned with scholar’s degree.
• Exposure to research experiences.
• Opportunities to develop professional skills.
• Participation in the learning community for SAGE-STEM scholars.

SAGE-STEM scholars must agree to:

• Maintain good academic standing.
• Work towards an accelerated five-year degree plan, as approved by SAGE-STEM advisors.
• Participate in SAGE-STEM activities, such as individual meetings, group meetings, workshops and other professional development activities.

Applicants to the SAGE-STEM program must have:

• A minimum reported high school grade point average (GPA) of 3.5.
• A combined SAT score of at least 1200, with a score on the math section of at least 550 or a combined ACT score of at least 25.
• Financial need (i.e., low income) as determined by the EFC of less than $6,206 as determined by the results of the FAFSA.
• Full-time enrollment in an Embry‑Riddle SAGE-STEM eligible undergraduate program at Daytona Beach Campus:
  • B.S. in Computer Science
  • B.S. in Software Engineering
  • B.S. in Computer Engineering

For continued eligibility, SAGE-STEM scholars must:

• Maintain a 3.2 GPA.
• Work towards successful graduation of their B.S. and M.S. within five years.
• Apply to one of the following accelerated graduate programs on the Daytona Beach Campus:
  • M.S. in Software Engineering
  • M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • M.S. in Cybersecurity Engineering
• Participate in SAGE-STEM activities.

Applications submitted by the scholarship applicants must include the following in their application:

• Signed statement of understanding of the program’s requirements and commitment to SAGE-STEM.
• A personal statement that provides a compelling narrative addressing the applicant’s educational goals and motivation, their desire for a graduate degree, and their career aspirations.
• Two letters of recommendation from teachers/instructors, supervisors or mentors who can describe the candidate’s strengths and merits.
• High school transcript.

Please submit the application package to Dr. Omar Ochoa at ochoao@erau.edu.

Students selected as SFS scholars will receive a full-ride scholarship for the 2025-2026 academic year that covers the following:

• Academic-year stipends of $27,000 per year for undergraduate students and $37,000 per year for graduate students.
• Tuition and education-related fees (does not include items such as meal plans, housing or parking).
• Professional allowance of $6,000 per academic year for SFS Job Fair and other travel, conferences, research materials and supplies, a laptop, books, professional training and certifications, etc.
• Participation in virtual and in-person job fairs in Washington, D.C.

SFS scholars must agree to:

• Work immediately following graduation for the Federal Government or a State, Local or Tribal Government in the United States in a position related to cybersecurity for a period equal to the length of the scholarship.
• Participate in government internship positions in the summers during the years of scholarship study.
• Participate in other SFS activities, such as weekly individual meetings, monthly group meetings, cyber competitions, and conferences and workshops.
• Meet other SFS requirements, such as signing Service Agreement Forms and maintaining good academic standing.

SFS scholars are responsible to apply for and obtain a position after graduation. Embry‑Riddle SFS program will assist SFS scholars by helping identify employment and internship opportunities.

Applicants to the SFS program must be or have:

• Citizen or lawful permanent resident of the United States who is not already a US government employee but who meets the criteria for Federal employment.
• Enrolled full-time in an Embry‑Riddle SFS eligible undergraduate or graduate program at Daytona Beach Campus with two years left before graduation for undergraduate students or newly admitted graduate students.
  • B.S. in Computer Science (Cybersecurity Engineering AOC)
  • B.S. in Aviation Maintenance Science (Avionics Cybertechnology and Security AOC)
  • M.S. in Computer Science (Cybersecurity Engineering AOC)
  • B.S. in another participating degree program on Daytona Beach Campus and Minor in Cybersecurity Engineering
  • B.S. in another participating degree program on Daytona Beach Campus and Minor in Cybersecurity Application and Management

• Minimum undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.0.
• Ability to obtain a security clearance. More information about security clearances can be found on the  site. The procedures and forms used by agencies may vary, but the  is often used for background investigations and security clearances.

Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach Campus is a National Center of Academic Excellence for Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) based on cyber-related programs offered and supported by the . As an SFS scholar, you will collaborate with Embry‑Riddle students, faculty and researchers at Daytona Beach as well as Prescott campuses. As a result, you will:

• Gain a rigorous, aviation and aerospace cybersecurity focused, education through your degree coursework on the Daytona Beach campus.
• Engage with a dynamic and innovative community of thinkers, leaders and doers in cybersecurity from both campuses.
• Hone your knowledge and practice essential skills through hands-on research opportunities with faculty and peers from both campuses.
• Build relationships and prepare for critical cybersecurity work in government service.
• Attend technical talks given by representatives from government agencies, national laboratories and industry leaders through Distinguished Speaker Series, President’s Forum and other university activities.
• Enhance your critical thinking and decision-making skills through internship opportunities and hands-on cybersecurity projects.
• Access a vibrant community of Embry‑Riddle alumni who work in the public sector.

The goal of the RED project is to fundamentally transform the EECS department into an agile department that implements agile processes within the curriculum and academic operations. The specific goals are as follows:

• Graduate agile engineers capable of success within agile and non-agile environments
  • Integrate agile methodology and experiences throughout the core technical courses
  • Utilize evidence-based instructional practices in core technical courses
• Develop an agile faculty culture that is responsive to student and industry needs and that models agile practices for our students
  • Implement agile methodology into department operations
  • Faculty continuously seek improvement through Scrum methodology implementation

At the curriculum level, EECS focuses on applying Scrum agile product development approach into courses across the curriculum. The approach allows faculty to achieve faster changes and implementation of prioritized items. Examples include incorporating more evidence-based practices such as just-in-time teaching, case-based teaching, active learning and peer instruction. At the academic operations level, EECS focuses on fostering inclusive learning environments, revising department procedures and recruiting diverse students and faculty. Through the implementation of Scrum, both faculty and students gain expertise on agile product development and its application in academic operational settings.

Faculty work collectively in Scrum teams to innovate the practices, policies and culture of the department. Students use Scrum in individual and team projects throughout the middle two years of the curriculum to progressively build their expertise for the culminating capstone courses in the senior year. The research uses an explanatory case study design guided by social cognitive theory. Quantitative and qualitative analyses are performed using data from interviews with faculty and students, feedback from stakeholders and artifacts from Scrum teams.

One of the expected outcomes of this RED project is to investigate how the agile processes adoption to department operations enhance faculty and student experiences. The findings will be used to inform other engineering departments about practices to improve the education of a diverse student population to be well-skilled engineers for the workforce. Research results could lead to transformations in engineering education by offering a model on the novel use of Scrum as an agile organizational practice and its influences on the collective efficacy of faculty.

Carlos A. Castro, PMP

Carlos A. Castro is the Director of Operations for the Center for Aerospace Resilient Systems at Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University A certified Project Manager with more over ten (10+) years of experience in the aviation/aerospace industry. He earned an MSA and MBA from Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University, PMP from the Project Management Institute and Scrum Master Certification from the Scrum Organization. He is a Professor of Advanced Modeling Airport Modeling at Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University. His research experience includes airlines, airports, airspace and air traffic management. Airline experience includes operations, quality assurance and quality control, reliability, and design of component control systems. Mr. Castro has a proven record of success in leading all phases of diverse technology and aviation projects. He is currently involved in several of the FAA’s Next Gen activities regarding air traffic management.

Omar Ochoa, Ph.D

Dr. Omar Ochoa is an Associate Professor of Software Engineering and Computer Science. He joined Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University in the fall of 2016 after earning his Ph.D. from the University of Texas at El Paso under the supervision of Dr. Ann Gates. Dr. Ochoa has over 10 years of experience working in industry with companies such as the Army Research Lab, IBM and Hewlett Packard Enterprise. Dr. Ochoa’s research is supported through external funding from NSF, FAA, Navy and the AFRL, focusing on infusing Software Engineering methods into Machine Learning development using the Semantic Web, Cybersecurity and Software Engineering Education in particular applying Agile Methods in Academia. Dr. Ochoa has published more than 50 publications and graduated over 25 graduate students including three Ph.D. students.