Current Events and Press Releases
- April, 2011. The National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have designated the University of South Alabama as a National Center of Academic Excellence (CAE) in Information Systems Security Education.
After a long and arduous application process, the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security have designated the University of South Alabama as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Systems Security Education. This designation covers academic years 2011 through 2016. The ability of the School of Computer & Information Sciences to meet the increasing demands of the program criteria will serve the nation well in contributing to the protection of the National Information Infrastructure. The President’s National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace, 14 February 2003, addresses the critical shortage of professionals with these skills and highlights the importance of higher education as a solution to defending America’s cyberspace.
Letter designating the University of South Alabama as a Center of Academic Excellence (CAE)
- Congratulations to Mr. Preston Hanne and Mr. Jonathan Reed!
After a very competitive application process, these two Information Technology (ITE)
majors were nominated by the School of Computer & Information Sciences for and
subsequently received National Science Foundation (NSF) Scholarship for Service (SFS)
awards beginning in the Fall 2010 semester. Both students will receive tuition, fees, books, and room/board expenses
for two years under their SFS awards. Upon graduation the students will pay back
their scholarships by working in a U.S. government agency or a federally-funded
research and development center in the area of cyber-security for the period of time they were under scholarship.
They will also work as paid interns at a federal agency during the summer of their
junior years. Both students recently attended an SFS Job Fair in Arlington, VA the
first week in January, 2011 to meet with representatives of various federal agencies
including the National Security Agency, Department of Homeland Security, Central
Intelligence Agency, and the U.S. Senate.
- Ms. Traci Evans attends InfraGard Cybersecurity conference
In March, 2010,
Ms. Traci Evans, an undergraduate ITE major at the University of South Alabama attended the national
InfraGard conference on
Cybersecurity in Washington D.C.. Ms. Evans says of her
experience,
"When I arrived at the U.S. Gov. Sec Law Conference of 2010, I
not only learned about new cyber security tactics, but I learned
about other job and internship opportunities other than with the FBI
that were available to me. Without the generosity from
the School of Computer and Information Sciences at the
University of South Alabama, I would not have had the
opportunities I have already experienced to jump start my future
career."
- Dr. Ray Vaughn visits USA CFITS
On February 5th, 2010,
Dr. Ray Vaughn, founder and Director of
the Center for Computer Security Research at Mississippi State
University visited USA CFITS reseachers and the School of Computer & Information Sciences faculty to
discuss research opportunities and review IASP progress and plans for the future.
- USACFITS established by USA
President Gordon Moulton
On December 2nd, 2009, at
the recommendation of Dr. David Johnson, the USA Senior Vice
President for Academic Affairs, USA President Gordon Moulton
established the University of South Alabama Center for Forensics
and Information Technology Security (USA CFITS). Earlier this
year, the Department of Defense provided capacity-building
funding to the USA School of Computer and Information Sciences
through their Information Assurance Scholarship Program to
develop resources that are now manifest with the USA CFITS
center designation. Dr. Rayford Vaughn, founder and Director of
the Center for Computer Security Research at Mississippi State
University strongly endorsed creation of USA CFITS.
"Cyber-security and computing forensics are critical to our
nation's health and both are rapidly growing international
research areas. I am glad to see USA take this bold step. No
doubt that USA CFITS will provide immediate benefit to the state
of Alabama and it is destined to make a national impact in the
near future. Additionally, I have known and worked with members
of this center in the past and I am confident that they can
bring the necessary technical and managerial skills to bear that
will undoubtedly make this center an immediate regional asset."
For further information on USA CFITS please refer to the
center's website at
www.usacfits.org or contact the USA CFITS Director, Mr. Les
Barnett at
hlbarnett@usouthal.edu or 251.461.1601.
