Bowie State University students will soon receive training needed to enter the high-demand cybersecurity field and help close the nation’s workforce gap, thanks to a $453,000 grant from the National Nuclear Security Administration to establish a partnership of Historically Black Institutions.
“The U.S. is experiencing a shortage in the number of competent cybersecurity experts in the public and private sectors; consequently, there’s an urgent need to increase this number by providing educational and training opportunities to a broader sector of the population,” said Dr. Claude Turner, an associate professor in Bowie State’s Department of Computer Science and a co-principal investigator for the project. “As a result of this funding, Bowie State students will be better equipped to enter the job market as cybersecurity professionals and meet the need to protect the country and businesses from cyber attacks.”
Dr. Turner will travel to Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, N.M. to learn forensics skills during a four-day training boot camp starting Monday, Dec. 17, along with four Bowie State students: junior William Hoang, junior Philip Santiago III, sophomore Kim Ta, and doctoral student Kato Mivule. Also attending the boot camp will be representatives from the other partner institutions – Norfolk State University, North Carolina A&T State University, University of the Virgin Islands, and Voorhees College.
The one-year pilot project will provide Bowie State professors with intensive training in cybersecurity techniques they will use to develop curriculum to meet the requirements of industry and government employers. Their work will enhance the university’s existing computer science courses and create new courses in areas, such as computer and network forensics.
In addition, the grant will help supply Bowie State’s labs with the software and equipment required for students to complete the hands-on training components developed through the project. Students will also hone their practical skills in summer internships at Sandia National Laboratories and other Department of Energy labs.
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ABOUT BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY
Bowie State University (BSU) is an important higher education access portal for qualified persons from diverse academic and socioeconomic backgrounds, seeking a high quality and affordable public comprehensive university. The University places special emphasis on the science, technology, teacher education, business, and nursing disciplines within the context of a liberal arts education. For more information about BSU, visit the website at
www.bowiestate.edu.
Posted By: Reginald Culpepper
Friday, December 14th 2012 at 2:14PM
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