Northrop Grumman's Lauren supports cybersecurity women

Lauren Mazzoli is enjoying an exciting career with Northrop Grumman and even received a Rising Star award a few years back for her work. Lauren has a Master's degree in Computer Science and she is central to the great partnership Northrop Grumman has with the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC).

Encouraging more women and minorities into computer science

While taking a Computer Science class Laura, a Mathematics major at the time, realized the stark need for more women and minorities in Computer Science and Cybersecurity. She graduated in 2015 with a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Computer Science and wanted to enhance the interaction between Northrop Grumman and UMBC.

In light of her eagerness, she not only became involved in initiatives at UMBC, but she also led and supported many events, including events for the Cyber Scholars Program, a merit-based scholarship program primarily funded by the Northrop Grumman Foundation for students interested in a cybersecurity career.

Lauren helps implement company competitions, hiring events, networking sessions and technology expos to help UMBC students break into the STEM industry and secure positions at Northrop Grumman.

“I’ve always been passionate about helping others. In high school, I would spend my weekends volunteering as a big sister program participant or at a homeless shelter,” Lauren says. “Volunteering has become a hobby for me now, and I consider myself lucky to be able to help young women and people of all backgrounds succeed in STEM fields at UMBC and Northrop Grumman.”

Shedding light on innovative Northrop Grumman technologies and programs

Lauren especially loves UMBC events that offer insight into some of the amazing Northrop Grumman technologies and programs.

“Many of our initiatives and program are classified; so, it’s amazing to allow students to see what Northrop Grumman is actually producing,” she comments.

But, her service to UMBC after hours isn’t the only reason Lauren is a Rising Star. Lauren, now a member of the Northrop Grumman Future Technical Leaders (FTL) program, exceeds expectations at Northrop Grumman, designing new technologies and web applications.

“If I don’t understand something, I make sure that I step outside of my comfort zone to ask questions and communicate with the team,” Lauren says. “Owning a task or project and getting it done in advance has helped me succeed at Northrop Grumman so far.”

Bridging the gap between STEM students and Northrop Grumman

Aside from helping students land internships at Northrop Grumman, Lauren plans to mobilize company employees to help continue volunteerism efforts to bridge the gap between STEM students and Northrop Grumman. Luckily, Lauren’s efforts to spread the word won’t be too difficult, in light of the extensive number of employees who are connected to UMBC.

“I think it’s awesome that we continue to partner with UMBC every year,” Lauren says. “A school that values diversity partnered with a company [Northrop Grumman] that values diversity both speak volumes to employees and students.”