Meet the Team


Jonathan Burns

Jonathan Burns is dedicated to providing a good experience through this website and integration with the orientation workshop. His main focus is on creating, maintaining, and providing support to other members with the website, but he also helps with project management and the workshop.


Rachel Ross

Rachel Ross is a Chapman sophomore majoring in Computer Science, with a minor in Music Technology. She is Project Manager of the Cyber Smart Panthers, a Schmid College Grand Challenges Initiative team. She’s excited about cybersecurity, data networks, and data center management. She is passionate about music and plays flute for the Chapman Jazz Combo. During summer, you can catch her playing water polo and going to the beach.


Kristina Nguyen

Kristina Nguyen is a Chapman sophomore pursuing a major in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and a minor in Health Science. As one of the few members not majoring in Computer Science, she mainly contributes towards the public relation aspects of the Cyber Smart Panthers Project; she makes sure that the technical jargon relating to cybersecurity is translatable and understandable towards the intended audience.


Jonathan Bahm

Jonathan Bahm is a sophomore at Chapman majoring in Computer Science with a minor in game development. He enjoys learning new things about technology and is excited to help implement it into chapman’s framework through the grand challenges program to better cybersecurity throughout the school and (hopefully) the world!


Kiara Cardona

My name is Kiara Cardona. I am a Sophmore at Chapman. I majoring in Data Analytics with a minor in Computer Science. I love working with technology and ensuring that users have the best experience possible, whether that be through websites, cyber security, or software.


Tristan Chilvers

Tristan Chilvers is an undergraduate sophomore who is double majoring in both Music Composition and Computer Science. His focus is primarily in software engineering and composing for film, games, and media. In his spare time, he enjoys travelling with his friends and family, drawing, and hiking.

Our Team

Chapman students from the Schmid College of Science & Technology and faculty focused on the Grand Challenges Initiative (GCI) of securing Internet-based communications at Chapman.

Our Mission

In an era of unprecedented cyber security threats, our aim is to establish secure Internet-based communications among Chapman students, faculty, and staff by “Securing the App”, “Securing the Network”, and “Securing the Human.

Our Goal

Our team’s goal is to develop a solution for Internet-based communications at Chapman University, which is:

In order to accomplish this, we must:

What is the GCI Program?

GCI is the Grand Challenges Initiative. Working in small interdisciplinary teams over their first two years in Schmid College, GCI students engage in grand challenges that fascinate them, from realizing unlimited renewable energy to securing Internet-based communications. Throughout the GCI program, students build a sophisticated intellectual foundation for the rest of their academic experience and career.