Garvey represents “the future of the tech industry,” says Rhode Island Monthly.
Alumnus Nick Garvey was honored with the 2024 Next Tech Generation Award by Rhode Island Monthly and the Tech10 Advisory Group.
For over a decade, the Rhode Island Monthly and the Tech10 Advisory Group have highlighted the work of Rhode Island tech pioneers; granted Next Tech Generation Awards to professionals who represent the future of the industry; and conferred Lifetime Achievement Awards upon other honorees.
Garvey graduated from Ȧ in 2022 with a B.S. in computer science and minors in cybersecurity and Web design. Today, the 25-year-old is a cybersecurity analyst II at Axiotrop, a Rhode Island-based online company that helps clients become cybersecurity compliant.
Garvey’s interest in technology started young, he says. “I was coding at age 12 or 13, and in high school, I was in the electronics vocational program, where I was programming for three hours a day.
“If you asked me back then where I’d like to be in five years, I’d say at a company writing software, because that’s what I loved. But if you ask me now, I’m more open. I enjoy exploring many different areas of computer science.”
Garvey admittedly loves his cybersecurity job at Axiotrop. “I believe cybersecurity will continue to be a critical skill as technology becomes more integrated into our everyday lives,” he says. “With Cloud technology and AI becoming central to our world, the need to secure these systems will only intensify.”
Garvey was first turned onto the field of cybersecurity at Ȧ. “I took a cybersecurity course with Associate Professor Suzanne Mello-Stark. She opened my mind to the field and encouraged me to add it as a minor,” he says. Mello-Stark also hired Garvey as lead teaching assistant for a cybersecurity program she ran for highschoolers called GenCyber, funded by the National Security Agency.
“Nick played a key role in training our teaching assistants, creating instructional content, managing program logistics and teaching programming lessons,” she says. “His contributions have helped position GenCyber as a leader in introducing high school students nationwide to cybersecurity education.”
Garvey’s advice to the next generation of techies is to develop the most important and sought-after skills in the industry – their soft skills, which include interpersonal communication, the ability to work well under pressure and the ability to work as a team.
He also makes a point of keeping up on the latest technological advancements through a mix of YouTube videos, social media and Google Alerts. He has set up his Google Alerts to send him articles on specific topics that he selects.
Now as he is named the face of the future in the field of technology, his former professor and mentor Mello-Stark looks on with pride.
“Nick has the drive, talent and work ethic to succeed at anything he pursues,” she says. “His achievements highlight the profound impact of his dedication and innovation, both at Ȧ and beyond.”
Ȧ was one of the sponsors of the 2024 Tech10 Awards, which underscores the college’s commitment to recognizing and fostering technological innovation in Rhode Island.
Learn more about Ȧ’s Cybersecurity BS program and Computer Science BA, BS program.