Joseph Krejchi: Outstanding senior in cyber security engineering

Clubs and activities

FarmHouse Fraternity, St. Thomas Aquinas, Tau Beta Pi, Cyber Defense Competitions

Valuable hands-on learning in class

In my computer organization class, we built three different computer processor designs from scratch and synthesized them to FPGA boards for testing. Each design was time-consuming and difficult, but the final payoff was worth it every time. This course laid the foundation of everything I know about computer architecture and has allowed me to learn all sorts of other things like operating system security and reverse engineering. We worked in teams for this project, so it was also great practice for tackling tough problems in a team setting.

Valuable out-of-the-classroom experience

The Cyber Defense Competitions were a great way to apply things I’ve learned in the classroom to a more applied environment. I’ve learned a lot from participating in these and made some good friends too.

Most influential mentor

My most influential mentor was my friend Nathan Frank, who graduated in software engineering last spring. He has been an influence on me academically as well as many other things like my faith and work ethic.

Best memory/greatest accomplishment

My favorite memory is when I camped out with some friends for the Iowa State-Kansas basketball game sophomore year. We rented sleeping bags from the REC center and crammed into my buddy’s tent to last out the single-digit temperatures. I was sick for three days afterward, but watching our Cyclones beat Kansas made it worth it.

Plans after graduation

I will intern this summer at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory with a team that does reverse engineering assessments on solar grid infrastructure equipment. After that, I will return here to Iowa State to finish my master of science in cyber security degree and write my thesis.

Making my mark on the world

I want to serve my community and make people’s lives better. This has drawn me to research areas like grid and infrastructure security, which I believe provide a great way to better the world around me.

Engineering like a Cyclone Engineer

The best part of being a Cyclone Engineer is receiving all the opportunities that come from a large university while also having a small community feel within your major. There are also students from all walks of life that come here to learn engineering and I’ve made friends with all kinds of people.

What I’d tell my younger self about Iowa State

Iowa State prepares students incredibly well for their careers. Specifically for cyber security, our program provides students with a really strong foundation of computer engineering and computer science that allows them to make excellent engineering decisions.

Most inspiring location on campus

My favorite location is the TLA in Coover Hall. It’s a really great space for students of all disciplines to get some work done and it always inspires a feeling of productivity. It’s also where we host our Cyber Defense Competitions.