It wasn’t long ago that Brianna Phifer was completing her capstone project at North Carolina Central University (NCCU), and now she’s helping current students complete their own.
Phifer, a cybersecurity lab assistant, supports faculty who use NCShare, a partnership between Duke University, NCCU, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Davidson College and MCNC. The project aims to create an accessible high-speed networking system and increase cyberinfrastructure for participating institutions in North Carolina.
When Phifer first learned about the position as cybersecurity lab assistant through NCCU Chief Information Officer Joel Faison, it was presented as a way to make NCShare more accessible, and to allow researchers to communicate between participating institutions.
“NCShare allows faculty and staff to access resources on an online platform without having to download it,” Phifer explained.
Her role is critical to the partnership at NCCU. When she started, Phifer was provided with a list of 10 faculty and students at NCCU already connected with NCShare. From there, she was able to connect with faculty who were interested in getting access.
“The most challenging part is figuring out where the interest lies and getting engagement,” said Phifer, a recent NCCU alumna.
She’s created educational materials to explain what NCShare is, the resources it offers and how to access it. The information is published on NCCU’s Knowledge Base for seamless accessibility.
Introducing faculty to new software systems can be challenging, but Phifer is working behind-the-scenes to expand adoption across campus.
“It’s exciting to hear that someone is actually using [NCShare] for their capstone project because I know what it was like, not too long ago, to be going through capstone,” Phifer said. “To provide a tool or resource that someone is actually able to use is very rewarding.”
Faculty such as Timothy Mulrooney, Ph.D., an associate professor of environmental, earth and geospatial sciences who works with geospatial data hasfound NCShare’s resources helpful.. Ravanasamudram Uma, Ph.D., a professor of mathematics and physics, has also had a student utilize the platform in her capstone course.
According to Phifer, many researchers are already familiar with the software available through NCShare. When onboarding new users, Phifer directs them to the university’s Knowledge Base.
“It’s something they’ve been using, it’s just in a more accessible place,” she said.
By streamlining access to essential software and tools, NCShare has enhanced teaching and research across partnering institutions. Phifer’s efforts have helped the NCCU community integrate these resources more effectively, opening new opportunities for collaboration and innovation.
“I wish people knew [NCShare] was here and knew what we offer,” Phifer said. “There’s a team that’s willing to support them.”
Learn more about The People Powering NCShare.