SIA opens applications for four 2024 scholarship programs

SILVER SPRING, Md.—The Security Industry Association (SIA) is now accepting applications for four key SIA scholarship programs: the Denis R. Hébert Identity Management Scholarship, the James Rothstein Business Scholarship, the Paul Ahern Scholarship and the SIA Women in Security Forum (WISF) Scholarship.

These scholarships offer funds to security industry professionals, as well as students, to help them further their career, professional development and educational goals.

The Denis R. Hébert Identity Management Scholarship annually awards two $5,000 scholarships to young professionals who are current employees of SIA member companies to help further their education in the field of identity management. This scholarship was established in 2018 in recognition of Denis Hébert, chair and investor at Nightingale Security and a past member of SIA’s Board of Directors who served as chair from 2016 to 2018, and the substantial subject matter expertise Hébert offered and continues to offer to SIA members.

His input has helped businesses to interpret and influence identity management trends and achieve greater business success. The program is designed to support the professional development goals of young professionals who specialize in identity management – a field involving the systematic control of access, authenticating users, securing assets and protecting privacy. Identity management encompasses many aspects of risk management, public policy, fraud prevention, privacy, data analysis, risk and governance, information technology and security. 2024 Hébert Scholarship applications are due Wednesday, July 31, and awardees will be recognized at the 2024 AcceleRISE conference taking place Aug. 12-14 in Washington, D.C.

The James Rothstein Business Scholarship, established in 2024, is designed to support emerging professionals and students in the security industry by providing financial assistance to attend the Securing New Ground (SNG) conference. This competitive scholarship program covers SNG conference passes and travel expenses, enabling recipients to gain invaluable business insights, network with industry leaders and enhance their professional development at the security industry’s executive conference (taking place Oct. 8-9, 2024, in New York City). This scholarship was named after James Rothstein, operating partner at Lee Equity and a past member of SIA’s Board of Directors who served as chair from 2022 to 2024.

In his role as a leader on the SIA board, Rothstein played an instrumental role in the development of the annual SNG conference, and he continues to support industry education and career advancement opportunities for early career professionals and students through various advisement and volunteer service roles. Each applicant must be either 1) a SIA student member or 2) a member of the SIA RISE community and an employee of a SIA member company. Applications are due Friday, Aug. 30.

The Paul Ahern Scholarship, established in 2024, will be presented annually to applicants from SIA member companies who have successfully completed the SIA Open Supervised Device Protocol (OSDP) OSDP Verified program or individuals responsible for the implementation of access control systems. Scholarship recipients may use the funds for OSDP Boot Camp enrollment and any related content that will support an individuals’ understanding of effective OSDP implementation. The scholarship is named after Paul Ahern, longtime CEO of Cypress Integration Solutions, who passed away in 2023 and was a dedicated member of SIA and advocate for the association.

The program is made possible through the generous support by SIA member companies and the OSDP community who greatly admired Ahern’s expertise, enthusiasm for the security industry and passion for strongly encouraging widespread adoption of OSDP. Applications for the 2024 scholarship are due Friday, Aug. 30, and awardees will be announced in the fall prior to ISC East. 

The SIA Women in Security Forum (WISF) Scholarship, an initiative led by the SIA WISF community, offers multiple scholarships worth $7,500 each that SIA members and students can use toward professional development and education. SIA’s Women in Security Forum is a community for both women and men that works to promote, recruit and cultivate the leadership of women for a more inclusive and diversified industry.

The WISF Scholarship program was created to further educational opportunities for the widest spectrum of people and empower all to join the SIA Women in Security Forum and thrive in the security industry. Scholarship funds may be used toward registration for SIA education or certification programs and/or conferences; repayment of student loan debt; registration for other industry education and certification programs; tuition for courses that will lead to completion of accredited trade, vocational or academic degree programs related to the security industry; and registration for industry online learning programs. Each applicant must be either 1) a SIA student member or 2) a member of SIA WISF and an employee of a SIA member company. Applications must be submitted by Wednesday, July 31.

“SIA is committed to advancing the security industry by investing in future leaders and helping them to further their professional and educational goals,” said SIA CEO Don Erickson. “With these four scholarships – three named for accomplished and dedicated industry leaders and one presented by the SIA Women in Security Forum community – we are honored to be able to make an impact in fostering the enrichment of security professionals and students and growing the talent pipeline. We look forward to awarding this year’s scholarships to an inspiring new class of honorees, and we encourage our members to apply and spread the word about these exciting opportunities.”