Graduate Alumni Spotlight: Amanda Moctezuma Barbosa, MS

Graduate Alumni Spotlight

Meet Amanda Moctezuma Barbosa, MS

From Montclair to the global stage: Cybersecurity alumna and emerging researcher.

When Amanda Moctezuma Barbosa began her journey at Montclair State University as a Computer Science undergraduate, she never imagined it would lead her all the way to an international stage in Paris. Today, just a few years later, Amanda is not only an alumna and staff member in Montclair’s Graduate Admissions Office — she’s also an emerging researcher whose work will soon be shared with experts from around the world.

Building Her Future at Montclair

Amanda’s achievement is the latest milestone in a journey defined by curiosity, perseverance, and growth — all rooted here at Montclair. After earning her Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, she continued on to pursue a Master of Science in Cybersecurity, diving deeper into the world of digital defense and threat intelligence.

While completing her degree, Amanda worked as a Graduate Assistant at The Graduate School, supporting doctoral candidates through research, writing, and milestone submissions. She also served as a Graduate Services Representative, helping prospective students navigate the admissions process with care and precision.

Today, Amanda is part of the Montclair team full-time as a Graduate Enrollment Generalist, managing application data integrity, improving backend systems, and guiding students through their academic journeys. Her deep understanding of the graduate student experience — first as a student herself, then as a GA, and now as a professional — gives her a unique perspective on how to support others on their path to success.

From Red Hawk Roots to the Global Stage

Amanda’s paper, “Defenses in Cybersecurity Through Threat Intelligence Approaches,” has been accepted at the 12th International Symposium on Networks, Computers and Communications (ISNCC’25). Hosted at ESIEE Paris – University Gustave Eiffel and sponsored by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the IEEE Communications Society, the conference brings together leading voices on cybersecurity, computing technologies, and the future of the internet.

Her research will be published in the conference proceedings and submitted to the IEEE Xplore Digital Library, placing her work among some of the most respected publications in the field.

Taking Montclair Global

Amanda’s upcoming presentation in Paris is not only a personal achievement — it’s also a proud moment for the Montclair community. Her work explores how organizations can integrate cyber threat intelligence into the post-incident response process, strengthening defenses and improving resilience against increasingly complex cyberattacks.

It’s research with real-world implications, and Amanda is eager to share it with an international audience of researchers, engineers, and students. Her story is a powerful reminder that graduate education is more than just coursework — it’s a launchpad.

“I didn’t even expect to make it this far. I never thought I’d actually get selected. At first, it was just a submission for fun — a ‘you never know’ kind of thing. Then I got the email saying ‘congratulations,’ and I was like, guess I’m going to Paris now! Honestly, I didn’t even want to go at first because it felt scary to travel alone, but my family is coming with me, so it doesn’t seem as scary anymore.”

— Amanda Moctezuma Barbosa