From Classroom to Cyber Innovation: CNF and St. Mary’s University Team Up for 10-Month Senior Design Success

What began as a kickoff meeting between industry professionals and university students evolved into a 10-month journey of innovation, collaboration, and real-world cybersecurity engineering experience.

On April 30, 2026, the CNF-sponsored St. Mary’s University Senior Design Team unveiled the culmination of nearly a year of research, development, and hands-on engineering during the University’s Research Showcase 2026. The multidisciplinary project challenged students to design and develop a specialized cybersecurity product requiring expertise across software development, radio frequency communications, hardware integration, and cybersecurity operations.

The project team included Computer Science seniors Donavan Acosta, Kevin Artola, and Ethan Rodriguez, alongside Electrical Engineering senior Eric Sifuentes, under the guidance of Senior Design Professor Dr. Ben Abbott. Acting as both sponsor and real-world customer, CNF provided project requirements, operational constraints, timelines, mentorship, and ongoing technical reviews throughout the academic year.

The partnership officially launched during a formal kickoff meeting on October 3, where CNF representatives Liz Vasquez, Tom Sillence, and Matt Trippy met with the student team to establish objectives, deliverables, and development milestones. Weekly Friday “tag-up” sessions quickly became a cornerstone of the project, mirroring the cadence of professional engineering and cybersecurity environments. During these meetings, students presented weekly accomplishments, outlined upcoming goals, and worked collaboratively to overcome technical challenges.

One of the project’s key technical components involved the use of four ADALM Pluto Software Defined Radios gifted by CNF. The students leveraged the radios throughout development, demonstrating their growing expertise in software-defined radio technology, communications systems, and cybersecurity integration. The investment not only strengthened the project itself, but also reinforced CNF’s long-term commitment to cultivating the next generation of cyber engineers and innovators.

“It has been my privilege to play a part in preparing four young engineers for the workforce through CNF’s sponsorship of a St. Mary’s University Senior Design Team,” said Tom Sillence of CNF Technologies. “For the past two semesters, I witnessed professional growth, innovative problem solving, and collaborative teamwork as they tackled a project that challenged them in the software, hardware, communications, and cybersecurity domains. I am excited for each of these engineers and their future successes.”

Liz Vasquez, who worked closely with the students throughout the project, reflected on the team’s transformation over the 10-month engagement. “Meeting with the students from St. Mary’s University on a weekly basis and watching them develop a successful, workable cybersecurity product week after week was amazing,” said Vasquez. “The students showed confidence, professionalism, and talent throughout the CNF Dead Drop Design Project.”

The project stands as another example of how industry-academic partnerships are helping bridge the gap between classroom learning and mission-focused technical careers. By immersing students in real-world engineering challenges, mentorship opportunities, and operational workflows, programs like this help prepare graduates to enter the cybersecurity workforce with practical experience already in hand.

For CNF, the initiative represents more than sponsorship — it is an investment in future innovators, engineers, and leaders within the cybersecurity community.