Westin Scholars

Westin Scholar Award Logo

The International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) extends their Westin Scholar Award to an Ohio University student with a passion for privacy and data protection. This prestigious award honors the late Dr. Alan Westin, a pioneer in the field of privacy.  

Students who have taken a course addressing privacy topics (listed below) can compete for this award by submitting an essay. The ECT faculty judge the essays, narrowing the field to three finalists who are then interviewed by the Ohio University Privacy Officer.

The selected student is named Ohio University's Westin Scholar, receiving a $1,000 prize, 2 years of membership in the International Association of Privacy Professionals, 3 complimentary exams for IAPP certifications, access to online training, and potentially the presentation of the award at an IAPP "KnowledgeNet" meeting. Westin Scholars who are graduating may also compete for a year-long Westin Fellowship.

Eligible students must be enrolled at Ohio University, not previously have received this award, and have taken one of the following courses:

  • ITS 2300 Data Networking,  
  • ITS 6250 Information Networks,  
  • ITS 5/4310 Privacy in the Internet Age,  
  • ITS 5/4330 IT Compliance,  
  • ITS 5/4510 Network Security,  
  • ITS 5/4530 Encrypted Communication, or  
  • ITS 5/4750 Internet Engineering 

Graduate Students are eligible to compete in even academic years (2024, 2026, 2028, etc.).

Undergraduate Students who are Juniors or Seniors are eligible to compete in odd academic years (2025, 2027, 2029, etc.)

An academic year spanning 2023-2024 is considered to be 2024. Think of the year in which the Spring Semester falls.

To compete for this award, complete the following steps:

  1. Compose an essay addressing the following topic:

    Consider your future career aspirations. How do you see the privacy-related courses that you’ve taken at Ohio University shaping your professional goals and responsibilities? Discuss specific ways you plan to advocate for or implement responsible data practices in your chosen field, drawing inspiration from the Athens community and your experiences at Ohio University.
     
  2. The essay must be no longer than 500 words, presented in a 12-point font, single spaced. This should be approximately a 1-page document.
     
  3. Send email from your OHIO email account to westinscholars@ohio.edu and attach your essay.
    (Submissions from non-OHIO email accounts will not be accepted.)

The deadline is February 4, 2024 at 11:59 PM.