NSF Grant Funds Cybersecurity Education at Stevens

Hoboken, NJ, October 21, 2010 --(PR.com)-- Dr. Susanne Wetzel, Associate Professor of Computer Science at Stevens Institute of Technology, Senior Teaching Professor Dr. Ruth Schwartz, and Research Associate Dr. Werner Backes are recipients of a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to further develop existing, nationally-recognized curricula in cybersecurity education. These educational programs at Stevens, The Innovation University (TM), have already established the institute as one of the leading learning centers for education in cybersecurity. In addition, this grant will allow for the extension of the existing cybersecurity laboratory to provide for improved hand-on instruction in cybersecurity. Outreach activities as part of this grant include a collaboration on curriculum development and implementation with Dr. Wayne Patterson from Howard University as well as the conducting of a workshop on multi-core computing and cryptography in conjunction with the Center for Discrete Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science.

In recognition of the pervasiveness of the Internet, the White House has presented its Cyberspace Policy Review, which declares cybersecurity a matter of national public safety and a priority for the current administration. The report estimates that the government alone will need 10,000 to 30,000 cybersecurity professionals over the next few years, when only 1,000 Americans are currently trained for these careers.

Stevens is addressing this need with aggressive growth in cybersecurity education at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Since 2003, Stevens has been designated by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as a Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education. In 2008, Stevens was one of the first schools receiving the designation as a Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Research. Since 2004, NSF has recognized these elite computer security programs at Stevens through capacity-building grants. The NSA designations make Stevens students eligible for Scholarship for Service awards, which enable undergraduate and graduate students in Cybersecurity to receive funding for college tuition as well as a stipend in return for a commitment to enter federal careers in computer network security.

“Cybersecurity is one of the key research and education thrusts in Computer Science at Stevens,” says Dr. Dan Duchamp, Director of the Computer Science Department. “Graduates are highly sought in government and industry and serve as a digital line of defense against attacks on business and public interests.”

Stevens offers undergraduate degrees, Master’s degrees and concentrations, graduate certificates, and Doctoral concentrations in Cybersecurity. More information about these programs is available at Stevens Admissions: www.stevens.edu/admissions

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