Phillip Hicks Helps Lead UNCP’s First Cybersecurity Graduates

When Phillip Hicks arrived at UNC Pembroke as a freshman, the university’s cybersecurity program was still in its trial phase. This May, the Red Springs native will help make history as one of the first graduates of UNCP’s standalone Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity program.

For Hicks, the journey to cyber sleuthing didn’t begin with computers — it started in farm fields and hardware stores.

“Until my senior year of high school, I was set on becoming an agriculture education major,” Hicks said. “I was president of FFA. I grew up working hands-on — farming, ag mechanics, helping at the hardware store.”

His father, Chris Hicks, a 1996 UNCP graduate, instilled in him the value of hard work. His late grandfather, Talmadge Evers, worked for Lumbee River Electric Cooperative (LREMC). Farming, mechanics and service were part of daily life. But during Hicks’ senior year of high school, a cybersecurity incident targeting LREMC changed everything.

“It hit close to home,” he said. “Someone was posing as a customer trying to gain access to account information. It made me realize how vulnerable systems can be — especially locally.”

After touring UNCP’s campus and seeing the new cyber lab, his focus shifted.

“That was a polarizing moment,” he said. “I saw everything UNCP had to offer, and it just clicked.”

UNCP launched its standalone cybersecurity degree in fall 2022 to meet the growing demand for trained professionals. While cybersecurity tracks previously

existed within other IT programs, this marked the university’s first dedicated degree in the field.

“When I came here, the program was going through its first run with our class,” Hicks said. “I looked at the electives — digital forensics, cryptography — and it pretty much described the career I wanted.”

Self-taught in many ways, Hicks supplemented his coursework by devouring YouTube tutorials and leaning on tech-savvy family members.

“I’ve always been curious,” he said. “I like to see how things work.”

Though cybersecurity often conjures images of screens filled with code, Hicks believes the field is just as much about people.

Currently working with UNCP’s Office of Advancement, he focuses on data health, record accuracy and cybersecurity best practices. “When you’re handling people’s money, accuracy matters,” Hicks said. “A lot of what we do is problem-solving.”

The internship taught him something unexpected. “It’s not just combing through data. It’s not always binary. You learn about interpersonal relationships and the business side of things. That’s been huge for me.”

Hicks has balanced multiple jobs throughout his college career, from working in fast food and at a local garage to the Hawks Nest on campus; he has never shied away from hard work. He has also farmed wheat, soybeans, corn and cotton, operated heavy machinery and worked as a mechanic.

Additionally, he serves with the Shannon Volunteer Fire Department and volunteers through a Red Springs mission camp, building handicap ramps and assisting elderly residents.

Hicks credits much of his success to mentors at UNCP. Professor Prashanth BusiReddyGari made courses like cryptography and digital forensics engaging and accessible.

“He makes it fun — even online,” Hicks said. “He says, ‘Life happens. My goal is to help you understand the material.’”

BusiReddyGari said Hicks is academically competent and known for his enthusiasm, integrity and professionalism in class.  “He is driven and motivated to make a meaningful and lasting impact,” BusiReddyGari said.

Hicks is particularly drawn to digital forensics and cryptography — disciplines that require thinking like a hacker to stop one. “Cryptography makes you think differently,” he said. “You’re learning how someone might conceal something.”

He recently applied for a civilian evidence technician position with the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office, hoping to eventually move into cybercrime investigations at the State Bureau of Investigation.

For Hicks, cybersecurity is about more than technology — it’s about protecting people. “It’s like setting a trap,” he said. “You’re on the hunt.”

UNCP wasn’t just a wise choice academically — it was personal. The campus is close to family and carries strong ties. “UNCP was my last acceptance letter,” Hicks said. “I got into a few schools farther away and more expensive, but they didn’t have the degree I wanted.”

When the acceptance arrived, he celebrated.

“I was jumping up and down,” he said. “Growing up, we didn’t have much money. I didn’t know if college was even possible. Thinking back, my experience at UNCP has been expansive. I went from being a kid who thought he’d stay in a small town to being encouraged and supported to go as far as I want — as long as I have the work ethic and ambition behind it.”