TECHX LAB
Alumni Spotlights
The partnership between Louisiana Tech University and GDIT has resulted in phenomenal educational and workforce advancements, and some of the best moments have been observing how their joint efforts have positively impacted individuals. Read on to discover how Tech and GDIT have worked to benefit their graduates and employees through educational and career advancement opportunities.
A.J.
Louisiana Tech Bachelor’s, 2010 | Master’s, 2019
After completing his undergraduate in computer information systems at Louisiana Tech University, A.J. began working for what is now General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT). One of A.J.’s favorite aspects about working for GDIT is the experience he has gained. He says that the level of experience he has achieved at GDIT “would have taken twice as long elsewhere” to accomplish because GDIT encourages its employees to experience many different areas of the IT world and provides them with exceptional learning opportunities.
GDIT offers its employees many resources for personal and professional growth, from continuing education programs to on-the-job experience. A.J. is currently earning his Executive MBA through Louisiana Tech University. He observes that GDIT’s active support of continuing education benefits both employees in their careers and the company as its employees are able to immediately utilize what they are learning in their jobs. This combination of work experience and continuing education has many benefits, and A.J. explains, “Through my work experience, I have…been able to attain top-tier, sought-after industry certifications.” In the fast-changing world of technology, this is especially important because it gives employees like A.J. a competitive advantage.
“GDIT allows its employees to get experience in many different areas and…discover how and where they will thrive.” — A.J.
As an enthusiastic Tech graduate and actively involved GDIT employee, A.J. has enjoyed many opportunities to work with both Tech and GDIT and view firsthand the benefits of their partnership. A.J. describes how “Louisiana Tech and GDIT work together to make sure students of today are gaining the experience and hands-on skills required to make an immediate impact in the local labor force upon graduation.” In addition to offering internships and on-campus resources for Tech students and faculty, GDIT works with Louisiana Tech to send employees back to school and make opportunities like the Executive MBA program possible, helping employees invest in their futures. One great aspect about the program, according to A.J., is that it has been tailored to fit the schedule of a full-time employee. A.J. explains that the Executive MBA program helps students discover “the real-world challenges of today” and teaches managers who are already in the workforce how they can continue to improve their leadership and decision-making skills.
A.J. continues to keep in touch with his professors at Louisiana Tech. He returns to campus whenever he can, often as a representative of GDIT at career fairs or an industry participant in Cyber Storm, a cybersecurity final exam that pits student teams in a cyberspace battle and tests skills in network defense and attack strategies. As its many learning and career development opportunities demonstrate, General Dynamics IT invests in its employees’ success and, as A.J. explains, gives employees “the opportunity to discover how and where they will thrive.”
Christopher
Louisiana Tech Bachelor’s, 2019
Graduating with a degree in computer science, Christopher has been one of many students to experience firsthand the partnership between Louisiana Tech and GDIT. In fact, Christopher explained that one way in which he benefited from this partnership is that it helped him find his research topic for graduate school. “GDIT has helped me pursue my passion and continue my education,” Christopher commented. Using the equipment at TechX helped him build the basis for two of the classes that he took which ultimately led him to his research topic that he will explore when he begins graduate school.
One aspect of his favorite aspects of Louisiana Tech, Christopher noted, was “how well the university interacts with its students.” Christopher explained that Tech has helped him improve academically and professionally. For the broader student body, Christopher also mentioned that Tech works to benefit all its students by working with industry leaders to create concentrations that will meet the technology industry’s needs. These concentrations encourage students to pursue their passions and equip them with distinctive skills that will help them when they enter the workforce.
“GDIT has helped me pursue my passion and continue my education.” — Christopher
Christopher plans to continue his education by attending graduate school where he will study computer science. For other students in the technology field, Christopher offers this advice: “Keep current in the technology field. Stay up-to-date in your field, learn about the best tools and practices, and ask questions no matter how big or small they may be.”
Cole
Louisiana Tech Bachelor’s, 2017
Cole is a passionate cyber engineering graduate of Louisiana Tech University and currently works for General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT). Describing his favorite part of his alma mater, Cole explained, “I would love to say that it was just the classes or the faculty and friends that I love about Tech. However, as most alumni and students would agree, the community at Tech helps to foster a much deeper bond that makes you feel part of a family. That is what I love about Tech.”
As a Security Operations Analyst at GDIT, Cole oversees, supports, and responds to computer security events and issues that arise within a customer’s network. According to Cole, what he likes most about his position at GDIT is the hands-on work and learning opportunities he experiences as he uses new tools and adapts to different situations.
“When Tech worked with GDIT to help…students enter the workforce, the results were immediate.” — Cole
Offering learning opportunities is important to GDIT as a company, and Cole has seen firsthand how the partnership between Tech and GDIT helps students enter the workforce and deliver immediate results. Interacting with GDIT representatives on campus, learning through GDIT internship opportunities, and using the resources GDIT provides at TechX help prepare students for the workforce after graduation. Louisiana Tech’s proactive alignment of its curriculum with industry needs is an important aspect of the partnership between Tech and GDIT, empowering Louisiana Tech’s engineering and computer science departments to be extremely competitive with other universities. This competitive spirit that faculty and staff foster, Cole says, is “definitely infectious to the students as well, creating a wellspring of ideas that [has] a prominent effect on the technology industry.” Cole points to Tech’s cyber engineering degree as “a direct result” of this spirit.
“Working for GDIT has opened many doors for me in my professional life,” Cole explains. As an intern, he shadowed security professionals who let him use state-of-the-art tools and mentored him in advanced topics relevant to security-related disciplines within computing. Cole has seen this experience lead to further opportunities, enabling him to study advanced materials while at Louisiana Tech and also after graduation. Cole attributes many of his professional educational opportunities to GDIT and the resources the company offers, such as its reimbursement program for employees’ continuing education and certification classes.
Cole continues to connect with Louisiana Tech by representing GDIT on the Cyber Engineering Advisory Board. In this role, Cole hopes to use his perspective “to help further refine the existing curriculum and provide input for new potential opportunities so that future students can be even better equipped when they enter the workplace!”
Lauren
Louisiana Tech Bachelor’s, 2015 | Master’s, 2018
Lauren has experienced an amazing journey since her time as a Tech undergrad. After graduating with a business degree, she worked in a variety of positions at the company which eventually became General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT). From university relations liaison to her current position as an information assurance engineer, Lauren has seen the recruiting, university relations, and technical aspects of what GDIT does. Both GDIT and Louisiana Tech have been integral parts of her career journey.
One of the pivotal steps that started Lauren on her current path happened when a professor at Tech encouraged Lauren to attend her first career fair. Lauren took the faculty member’s advice and ended up meeting her future boss and securing an internship with the company that would later become GDIT. “That push towards something I was scared to do,” Lauren explains, “is exactly how Tech continues to help grow and develop the bright minds of our future.”
“Louisiana Tech gave me more than just an incredible education—it gave me a network of smart mentors. I really trusted my teachers; I felt they were leading me down a path to a life and profession I would be proud to call my own.” — Lauren
Growth and development have been and continue to be important parts of Lauren’s career. Just a few months ago, she finished her MBA using a continuing education program that GDIT offers its employees. Lauren describes how GDIT “supported my career goals by giving me the tools to grow.” This opportunity helped Lauren discover that she wanted to explore a technical field and enabled her to transition to a cyber-security position at GDIT.
Not only has Lauren been furthering her education, but she has also actively participated in the partnership between GDIT and Tech. Lauren has helped recruit students at Tech career fairs, played a role in establishing the TechX Lab, and represented GDIT at curriculum development meetings and board member discussions. Lauren describes the spirit she sees at Louisiana Tech as “high values with a desire to shape the future.” Through her experiences, Lauren has observed firsthand how dedicated General Dynamics IT and Louisiana Tech are to giving faculty, students, and employees the tools they need to grow and innovate, and she concludes, “This really is an industry and community where we are constantly trying to find the best, safe, smart way to find a solution.”