NH-based association seeks to fill need for privacy professionals
New Westin Scholar Awards program ‘to encourage students to enter this growing field’
The Portsmouth-based International Association of Privacy Professionals has launched the Westin Scholar Awards, an annual program aimed at helping to meet the growing need for qualified privacy and data protection professionals.
The awards, which will support students who consider a career in privacy and data protection, is a part of the IAPP’s 20th anniversary events and serves as a way to celebrate and advance the IAPP’s mission to define, promote and improve the privacy profession globally, the company said.
They also pay homage to the late Dr. Alan Westin, a foundational voice in the field of privacy and data protection who researched and wrote about privacy, data protection, digital identity and the future of how societies will deal with issues at the intersection of law and technology.
He is the namesake for the IAPP Westin Research Center and Fellowship Program, which was founded in 2013 and serves as a pathway for future leaders in the community.
“The privacy profession is fast-growing and constantly evolving. We’ve created these awards as a way to encourage students to enter this growing field and explore potential career opportunities,” said J. Trevor Hughes, IAPP president and CEO. “It is our hope that these awards will help students identify and enroll in privacy and data protection courses and programs. There is no shortage of privacy or data protection career opportunities in management, law, technology and engineering.”
Nearly three dozen universities and other institutions have so far signed up to participate and will each select one student annually for the award. Among them are: American University Washington College of Law; Boston University School of Law; Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science; Dublin City University School of Computing; Georgetown University Law Center; Howard University School of Law; McGill University Faculty of Law; University of Chicago Law School; University of Copenhagen; and the University of Maine School of Law. To be considered for inclusion, a school may reach out directly to IAPP’s research manager, Margaret Honda, at mhonda@iapp.org.
For more information, visit iapp.org.
