The University of Texas at El Paso’s Miners Cybersecurity Clinic has finished its first year providing free cybersecurity services to organizations in the El Paso area. The clinic, which began operations in 2024 with $1 million from Google’s Cybersecurity Clinics Fund, allows students to offer risk assessments, policy reviews, and recommendations to local groups that may not have resources for digital security.
A press conference was held on January 30, 2026, where John Wiebe, UTEP provost and vice president for academic affairs, and Monika Akbar, faculty lead and director of the clinic, presented a framed photo of the inaugural cohort to Paige Godvin, a security consultant for Google. The event marked the completion of the clinic’s first operational cycle.
The initial group included nine College of Engineering students who completed specialized training before working with community organizations. The clinic aims to train more than 100 students and help nearly 30 organizations by 2030.
Monika Akbar stated: “This milestone represents exactly what the Miners Cybersecurity Clinic was designed to do – prepare our students for real-world cybersecurity careers while directly serving our community. Our inaugural cohort has demonstrated technical rigor, collaborative spirit and a strong commitment to public service, and their work is already making a meaningful impact across El Paso.”
Students participating in the program gain experience in areas such as risk assessment and client communication under faculty and industry mentorship. The clinic targets three main goals: developing future cybersecurity professionals; assisting local small businesses, nonprofits, and schools; and promoting long-term cyber resilience in the region.
Support comes from Google.org as part of its broader effort to improve cybersecurity skills across the country. Maab Ibrahim, head of economic opportunity at Google.org said: “Cybersecurity is a shared responsibility, and community-based clinics like UTEP’s play a vital role in expanding access to protection while developing the next generation of cyber professionals. We are proud to support the Miners Cybersecurity Clinic as it completes its inaugural cycle and begins delivering real-world impact for students and organizations in El Paso.”
The members of this year’s cohort were Areli B. Agudo-Garcia (senior), Braulio J. Banuelos (master’s student), Emily K. Fernandez (junior), Alejandro Flores (senior), Thomas N. Guerra (senior), Pablo E. Hernandez (senior), Frida M. Pena (junior), Dang Pham (senior), and Antonio Rivera (junior).
For many participants this was their first time applying classroom learning to actual cases involving cybersecurity threats faced by real organizations.
Alejandro Flores commented: “This clinic was a great organization to be a part of. I feel as though I gained irreplaceable experience by conducting in-person client interviews and by having the opportunity to create real-world risk assessment reports based on their cybersecurity profile.”
Emily Fernandez added: “My interest in cybersecurity began back in high school when a ransomware attack disrupted the small business where a family member of mine worked. As a member of this clinic, I had the opportunity to transform that passion into action by working directly with local businesses.”
UTEP’s Miners Cybersecurity Clinic is also part of an international network known as the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics and belongs to the Computing Alliance of Hispanic-Serving Institutions.
Applications for next year’s student cohort will open this summer with selections made in fall. More information can be found at cyberclinic.cs.utep.edu.
