{"id":4213,"date":"2017-12-19T11:28:18","date_gmt":"2017-12-19T17:28:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/for-wisconsin\/?post_type=campus_story&p=4213"},"modified":"2017-12-20T09:40:22","modified_gmt":"2017-12-20T15:40:22","slug":"uw-stout-receives-national-cybersecurity-designation","status":"publish","type":"campus_story","link":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/story\/uw-stout-receives-national-cybersecurity-designation\/","title":{"rendered":"UW-Stout receives national cybersecurity designation"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Photo<\/a>
UW-Stout students Pierce Lannue, left, and Stephen Felton work in a computer networking and information technology lab in October in Fryklund Hall. UW-Stout has been named a national Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security want to ensure that the United States is prepared to defend itself from cybersecurity threats, one reason they support the Centers of Academic Excellence throughout the country.<\/p>\n

\"USA<\/a>University of Wisconsin-Stout, officially, is on board.<\/p>\n

On Wednesday, Nov. 8, four UW-Stout representatives accepted the university\u2019s new designation as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense at the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education conference in Dayton, Ohio.<\/p>\n

UW-Stout is the first and only four-year school in Wisconsin to receive the CAE-CD designation and one of about 120 nationally.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe designation recognizes UW-Stout\u2019s excellence in cybersecurity education and highlights the accomplishments of our faculty and students in this area,\u201d said Maria Alm, dean of the College of Arts, Communication, Humanities and Social Sciences.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know that cybersecurity will only grow in importance and are committed to preparing graduates to play critical roles in the future of cybersecurity,\u201d Alm added.<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a>
Maria Alm<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

UW-Stout applied for the designation recently after Holly Yuan, director of the undergraduate program in computer networking and information technology, recognized the university\u2019s existing alignment with CAE-CD requirements.<\/p>\n

Yuan, other professors and administrators also saw the opportunity via the designation to strengthen UW-Stout\u2019s efforts to prepare students for careers in the field. Thus began a documentation and application process that took 13 months before UW-Stout was notified in October.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe realized the dire need, the shortage of cybersecurity professionals and the great opportunity for us,\u201d Yuan said. \u201cThis designation is recognition of all the good things we\u2019ve been doing here on campus.\u201d<\/p>\n

In addition to the CNIT program, UW-Stout has related Bachelor of Science programs: information and communication technologies; applied mathematics and computer science; and computer science.<\/p>\n

The applied mathematics and computer science program has a concentration in cybersecurity.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe drilldown is that this designation is not part of a new effort but part of the practice of this campus,\u201d said Byron Anderson, chair of the communication technologies department. \u201cIt\u2019s who we are, not just who we\u2019d like to be.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a>
Professor Diane Christie, right, helps students in a Computer Science I class in September at UW-Stout, which has been named a national Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Benefits for students, faculty<\/h3>\n

The CAE-CD designation comes with several benefits:<\/p>\n