Submitted by: Yansi Keim
 

Hello all, thanks for visiting this article. I am Yansi Keim (former President of WiCyS Purdue University Chapter). Today, I am sharing my experience and advice on running a My intended audience is

 

WiCyS Chapter — An academic safe space for Women in Cybersecurity
 

Regardless of wherever you are studying geographically on the globe, if you can think of starting a chapter, you can absolutely do it. Nothing can hold you back. Your motivation to start a WiCyS chapter can come from anywhere. It could be through WiCyS mission, their or other’s social media, WiCyS annual conference, exchanged in-person stories, or through this blog. Just don’t let that thought go away quickly. I joined Purdue’s chapter as an international Ph.D. student who had just come to the United States, migrating from an Indian educational system. If you’re from India, you know we don’t have a massive culture of cybersecurity (CSEC) clubs, and almost none exist focusing on women’s gender in this domain. So, having a space like that gives you an instant feeling of belonging. I also found that WiCyS Purdue had a faculty advisor (Dr. Ida Ngambeki) backing the chapter’s effort, which enhanced my confidence in the chapter’s credibility.

Established a WiCyS chapter, what’s next? Events!

What does a WiCyS Board look like?

Diversity among Student Members of your Chapter

Today, Purdue is 150 student members strong, only because everyone believed in it and worked towards it. And I believe in you, so grab this opportunity and make something incredible. If you have any more questions regarding club formation, voting procedures, recruitment of board and student members or others, or description of roles, feel free to reach out to me via LinkedIn.