University of Tulsa Cyber Corps Initiative -- Training the Next Generation of MacGyvers

University Of Tulsa, Tulsa OK

Investigators

Abstract

The University of Tulsa Cyber Corps Program is adding three new cohorts of undergraduate and graduate students to their existing Federal Cyber Service: Scholarship for Service (SFS) program in Information Assurance (IA). The program is graduating skilled information assurance and forensics professionals with strong leadership skills and a commitment to public service. Students are engaging in an intense program of study to prepare them for careers in intelligence, research and development, operations, project management, enterprise security, or law enforcement. All participants are spending a summer term as interns with federal agencies and, upon graduation, are assuming fulltime positions with the federal government. Students earn up to five CNSS information assurance certifications and select from several tracks. The "MacGyver Track" includes hardware, software and foreign language courses for students intending to join the intelligence community. Other tracks are preparing students for careers in research and development, operations, and project management. A unique aspect of the program is using government experts as student mentors. The project is having an immediate impact on the information assurance and forensics capabilities of the federal workforce by providing graduates with general computing and security skills. A number of innovative approaches are implemented to achieve a successful placement of students in federal government including arrangements with several agencies to take groups of students for summer internships with the possibility of subsequent fulltime employment. Strong mechanisms exist to attract and engage non-traditional students and members of underrepresented groups. Several scholarship slots are reserved for high achieving students from community colleges with large populations of female, minority and low-income students.