Feature Stories 2025: Raquel Ana Bush '25, '26: Mind and machine

Raquel Ana Bush '25, '26 has always been curious about how people think. Now, she's applying that same curiosity to training machines to think like people.   

Bush traded the California desert for the New England coast when she came to UMass Dartmouth to study computer science and artificial intelligence. After completing her bachelor's degree, she chose to stay at UMassD for her master's with the help of the CyberCorps Scholarship for Service (SFS), a prestigious program funded by the National Science Foundation that provides qualifying UMassD students with full tuition and professional development in the field of cybersecurity.  

Why computer science? What excites you about it?  

"I've always been interested in how people think. When I started college, I majored in psychology before shifting my focus to computer science and AI. In developing AI, we're essentially trying to teach machines to think. It's a highly technical field but there's also a very human element to it." 

As a computer science major, Bush explored a wide range of experiences in her field. In her junior year, she programmed Arduino-based sensors for wearable devices. As a senior, she led her capstone team in building a "Fog of War Chess Assistant" for the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC), a tool that analyzes player input to suggest strategic moves based on limited information, just like in real naval scenarios. She was also nominated by the Dean of the College of Engineering to present her analysis of Spotify artist collaborations at Scholar Day, where she used small-world network theory to uncover patterns in musical connections. 

"I'm looking forward to using my technical skills for the public good. Working for a government organization will allow me to make a real difference solving cybersecurity challenges that affect people's lives." 

Now in the accelerated master's degree program in computer science, Bush has focused her studies on cybersecurity. "I became interested in cybersecurity when I took a class on digital forensics with Dr. Gokhan Kul," Bush said. "We got to see how cybersecurity analysts help solve real cases. That sparked my interest in how to apply AI to detecting cyber threats. 

"This summer, I’m working on a research project focused on malware detection under the guidance of Dr. Kul. Using the EMBER dataset, I’m training and evaluating multiple machine learning models to classify malicious files. We’re also analyzing which characteristics of a file the models rely on most and which features are more resilient under adversarial manipulation. Cybersecurity is constantly evolving, which is exactly what makes it such an intellectually stimulating and impactful field." 

The CyberCorps Scholarship for Service 

UMassD is one of just four New England schools recognized by the NSA as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Research and offering the Scholarship for Service. Established at UMassD in 2023 thanks to a $3.5M grant from the NSF, the CyberCorps SFS program is a unique opportunity for students interested in cybersecurity.  

As a CyberCorps SFS scholar, Bush receives more than just tuition. The SFS program also provides networking, professional development, and internship opportunities, as well as an annual stipend for living expenses.  

"I went to the SFS Job Fair in Washington, D.C., where I met people from all over the country and even received some job offers," Bush said. "It's so helpful to hear from people who have been working in the field a long time and to learn from their experiences." 

The SFS program prepares students for cybersecurity careers in the public sector. After graduation, scholarship recipients agree to work for a federal, state, or local government organization for a period of time equal to the period of funding for their education.  

"I'm looking forward to using my technical skills for the public good," Bush said. "Working for a government organization will allow me to make a real difference solving cybersecurity challenges that affect people's lives." 

Building better cyber systems 

For Bush, making a difference isn't just about detecting and preventing cyber-attacks. "I hope to address issues of bias in the cybersecurity systems we build. I’m especially interested in how machine learning systems used in cybersecurity, such as threat detection or user profiling tools, can unintentionally reinforce social or systemic biases. For example, if a model is trained on data that overrepresents certain behaviors from one group and underrepresents others, it might disproportionately flag people from that group as suspicious." 

Bush is particularly driven by the ethical implications of AI. "Every AI system reflects the biases of the people who built it," she said.  "We need to ask tougher questions about accountability, transparency, and ethical responsibility. Otherwise, these systems risk harming the very people they were built to help." 

That commitment to ethical technology shapes her long-term aspirations. "I aim to grow into a specialization in fairness-aware artificial intelligence within cybersecurity by designing systems that not only detect threats effectively but also uphold principles of ethical responsibility and equity." 

Any advice for future UMassD students? 

"Talk to people! The people you don't know are opportunities for friends or connections you haven't met yet. Every opportunity I've had started by simply saying 'hello' to someone. For example, being involved with the Big Data Club helped me connect with the community here and find people who are driven and share similar interests. I was surprised by how many friends and connections I was able to make, especially as a transfer student." 

Learn more about the Scholarship for Service 

To learn more about the CyberCorps Scholarship for Service eligibility and other requirements, visit the UMassD Cybersecurity Center website.