In our Alumni Spotlight series, we explore the meaningful experiences of Master of Business and Science (MBS) degree graduates and how the degree has shaped their professional journeys. This month, we are excited to feature Daniel McWhorter, who earned his MBS with a concentration in Cybersecurity in May 2025 and is stepping into a new role as a Federal Sales Engineer.
Why did you choose the MBS degree?
McWhorter’s path didn’t begin in cybersecurity. He started in the film program at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. After graduation, he joined the New Jersey National Guard. There, he trained in satellite communications and developed information technology (IT) skills that led him to a civilian role at the Pentagon, working the IT Help Desk for the 644th Communication’s Squadron. Pursuing certifications such as Cisco’s Certified Network Associate and CompTIA’s Security+ provided a good entry point, but he recognized the career value of a broader education and came to Rutgers for his master’s degree.
As a National Guard member, McWhorter qualified for in-state tuition support, and Rutgers’ online course offerings made the MBS degree feasible while living in D.C., however, what appealed to him the most was the degree’s combination of business and science. Business courses allowed him
to understand financial strategy and management, while technical cybersecurity coursework built out his foundational knowledge of digital services. For McWhorter, this combination was key in fostering both a thorough understanding of the digital landscape around him and the computer technology industry.
What did you find to be the most valuable aspect of the Professional Science Master's program?
For McWhorter, the most valuable aspect of the MBS degree was our Capstone course. While he gained practical skills in courses like Professor Sorensen’s “Python Methodologies” and Professor Kotelnikov’s “Linux System Administration,” the Capstone stood out as the defining experience.
“The pace and attitude of [‘Capstone’] really stood out,” McWhorter recalled. “And the way Professor Bryant enforced documentation standards, how to build, structure, and present documents, has stayed with me. I still use those practices today when I document and present my products.”
This focus on communication and professional rigor became one of the program’s most lasting lessons for him, preparing him to clearly convey technical ideas to managers, colleagues, and clients.
What do you consider to be your most significant professional achievement?
McWhorter pointed to his role in helping his company transition from a deprecated Operating System (OS) to a new OS for its product application platform. Federal clients require secure configuration solutions for operating systems they deploy, so to support the transition to a new OS, McWhorter built a solution that worked across both the deprecated and new operating systems, modernizing the process and meeting the needs of his customers.
“I took our old Bash script and ported it Ansible, providing a Python front-end as a User GUI” he explained. “That way, Python menu could serve the Ansible back-end, which would securely configure CentOS, Oracle 8, and future Oracle 9 releases to work with my company’s application, all in one bundle.”
This innovation earned him recognition within the company. “Building that, documenting it, presenting it to my managers and their managers—that was probably my best professional moment so far,” McWhorter added.
Do you have any tips for cybersecurity students on how to stay current?
“Cybersecurity is constantly evolving,” McWhorter said. One of the best ways he stays current is by working directly with tools used by federal entities to detect cyber threats. “I set up a lot of tools that different federal entities use to catch different types of cyber threats, which exposes me to both familiar and new challenges,” he explained. The key being hands-on, direct action with industry standard tools.
When it comes to certifications, McWhorter emphasized the importance of choosing the right ones. While CompTIA exams are often required for federal work, he prefers certifications that focus on hands-on skills. “I like hands-on certificates, things like CCNA, pen testing, or Red Hat,” he noted.
His advice to students is straightforward: “Cybersecurity is really a culmination of all of the IT disciplines. Go build out a little networking lab and see what kind of weird bugs and stuff you run into, that’s the kind of stuff that leads and bleeds into cybersecurity.”
Do you have any advice to offer current or prospective MBS students?
Reflecting on his time in the program, McWhorter acknowledged that perspective changes over time. “Looking back, I probably complained a lot more than I should have,” he admitted with a laugh. But his advice to current students is to fully engage with the coursework.
For prospective students, McWhorter emphasized the program’s unique design. “It’s a good intersection if you’re looking for an MBA, but you don’t want to really be an MBA because you still have one foot in the science domain, or you’re still kind of a tech head,” he said. “You can do both here, and it’s a really good blend of that.”
Lastly, McWhorter closed by expressing gratitude.
“Looking back, I really appreciate all the work that each one of the staff members puts in. Their efforts have made a lasting impact on my journey.”
For more stories like this, see our previous MBS alumni spotlights:
- Justin Kovacevich, MBS’21, Engineering Management
- Tatiana Luts, MBS’23, Personal Care Science
- Chidera Okafor, MBS'17, Analytics: Data Science and AI