Ethan Ng: Outstanding Senior in Computer Science and Engineering
As the president of the Cyber Security Club at UC Davis for the past two years, Ethan Ng has had to go far beyond technical problem-solving to pursue his passion.
He had to partner with a nonprofit to secure server racks and computing equipment and negotiate to establish permanent club space and internet access, so club members could maintain continuous access to high-quality computing environments and learn practical cybersecurity skills.
“The struggles that came with this process gave me valuable real-world experience in navigating bureaucratic procedures,” he said.
For Ng, the club became more than an extracurricular activity. It was a place where technical curiosity, collaboration and persistence came together — and where he discovered the kind of work he wants to pursue long term.
That passion was further shaped in the classroom by Caleb Stanford, an assistant professor of computer science, whose course on software correctness introduced Ng to the idea of using mathematics and formal logic to verify and debug software.
“His class helped me realize how broad the field of computer security is,” Ng said. “It gave me confidence to continue down this path.”
Ng credits much of his growth at UC Davis to the faculty, staff and mentors who supported both him and the Cyber Security Club along the way. He expresses particular gratitude to Stanford and Professors of Computer Science Sam King, Matt Bishop and Dipak Ghosal for their mentorship, guidance and commitment to advancing computer security education within the department.
Outside the classroom, some of Ng’s favorite memories came from traveling with teammates to cybersecurity competitions across the country. Long drives, conversations with the team’s coach, Jonathan “JT” Taylor, deputy chief information security officer at UC Davis Health, and the joys and trials of competing alongside close friends became defining moments of his college experience.
Among the highlights were back-to-back third-place finishes at the Western Regional Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition — and an especially memorable first-place finish at one of the team’s invitational competitions early in Ng’s membership.
“It was a huge shock to us,” he said.
Looking back, Ng encourages incoming students to embrace exploration and pursue things that genuinely excite them to establish their life goals.
“Joining clubs, interacting with faculty and pursuing something you’re passionate about is the key to success,” he said. “The best way to figure out your goals is by wandering around and exploring different things that might help determine the way forward.”
Ng’s next goal? To continue his work in cybersecurity at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he will pursue a Master of Science in computer science.
Generative AI tools were used to assist in organizing and drafting this Outstanding Senior Spotlight using responses from a student-submitted questionnaire. In alignment with the University of California Responsible AI Principles, human members of UC Davis College of Engineering communications staff reviewed, revised, fact-checked and approved the final story to ensure accuracy and authentically reflect the student’s experiences and achievements.