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ISACA Las Vegas - Dr. Patricia Navarro-Velez Memorial Scholarship

 

Continue your education and launch your IT career with ISACA! This scholarship is open to undergraduate students at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) or College of Southern Nevada (CSN) who are interested in a career in IT audit, risk, security, assurance, or cybersecurity.

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Applications Due: 11:59 pm CT, 22 October 2024

 

Remembering Dr. Patricia Navarro-Velez:

We are heartbroken with the loss of a gifted teacher and cherished member of our community. The ISACA Las Vegas Chapter and the ISACA Foundation have created a scholarship fund in honor of Dr. Patricia Navarro-Velez. This scholarship will help continue her legacy of supporting underrepresented students in tech to pursue careers in IT audit, risk, security, assurance, or cybersecurity.

Patricia Navarro-Velez, PhD, was a beloved member of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Accounting family and an active member of the Accounting and Information Systems professional and academic communities. Pat was a constant advocate for student awareness of careers in IT audit, risk, security, assurance, or cybersecurity by always inviting representatives of the ISACA Las Vegas Chapter as guest speakers in her classroom. She was also instrumental in the founding of the first ISACA Student Group at UNLV in 2022.

Originally from Ponce, Puerto Rico, Pat attended the University of Puerto Rico before earning her Master's degree in Accounting Information Systems at Bowling Green State University. She had a rewarding career as a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) for PwC, one of the largest public accounting firms in the world, before choosing to pursue her passion for teaching and helping others by returning to the classroom as a professor.

Pat completed her PhD at the University of Central Florida, launching a timely and promising stream of research focused on cybersecurity disclosures and assurance, internal controls, and data analytics. She joined the UNLV family in 2019 and immediately made a positive impact in the lives of students and her colleagues with her positive attitude, infectious smile, and her genuine kindness and concern for everyone around her.

Pat's is an incredible success story: a proud Puertorriqueña who rose to the pinnacle of a demanding career, but her greatest achievements were her family and her personal relationships. Pat and her husband, David, are proud parents of four wonderful children, and she was blessed to be surrounded with love by her parents, three sisters, a brother, and many nieces, nephews, and friends who she loved like family.

Scholarship Offering:

We will award a US$2,500 academic scholarship for tuition to three students who meet the criteria below. Scholarship money will be paid directly to the awardee in January 2025 and must be used for the school you’re attending in 2025.

Awardees will also receive a Career Building Bundle:

  • One year of ISACA and ISACA chapter Student Membership (giving you access to career pathway and advancement events and webinars)
  • One ISACA course selected from the ITCA  or CET certification (completion of this course will help you get an ISACA certification that indicates a standard of skills to a prospective employer)
  • One ISACA Virtual Conference registration (where you will benefit from speakers who are renowned experts in their fields)
  • ISACA’s Mentoring Program (giving you access to certified digital trust professionals as mentors)
  • Resources to start an ISACA Student Group at university/college (as applicable)
  • Access to additional ISACA and ISACA Foundation resources

Criteria:

Applicants must:

  1. To apply, you first need a free ISACA account. If you have appplied for an ISACA Foundation scholarship before, you may sign in using that account. 
  2. Be 18 years of age or older.
  3. Be pursuing an undergraduate degree (2 or 4 year) at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) or the College of Southern Nevada (CSN).
  4. Be intereseted in a career in IT audit, risk, security, assurance and cybersecurity.
  5. Identify as a member of an underrepresented community in IT (this may include race, gender, ethnicity, veteran status, disability, etc.)
  6. Agree to communicate with the ISACA Foundation twice a year for two years regarding school and career trajectory after the scholarship award.