UNM INFORMATION ASSURANCE SCHOLARSHIP FOR SERVICE

University Of New Mexico, Albuquerque NM

Investigators

Abstract

The University of New Mexico (UNM) proposes to add four new cohorts of undergraduate and graduate students to their existing CyberCorps(R) Scholarship for Service (SFS) program in cybersecurity with strong application-oriented experiences throughout the curriculum. The project will have an immediate impact on the cybersecurity capabilities of the federal workforce by providing graduates with general computing and security skills. The program's emphasis on application-oriented experiences such as national cyber-competitions, courseware development, fraud prevention audits, and K-12 outreach, will integrate education and research. UNM is a Hispanic Serving Institution and it enrolls more Native Americans than any other research university in the country. The grant will enhance existing relationships with CyberCorps employers and increase the number and variety of internships. The program results will be disseminated widely to facilitate replication of unique curriculum features that produce graduates who can successfully defend the nation's cyberspace by directly addressing related technical, behavioral, organizational, and economic domains. The program is graduating skilled cybersecurity professionals with strong leadership skills and a commitment to public service. The program integrates rigorous, hands-on learning with research, professional development and outreach activities across a variety of cybersecurity fields and related disciplines. SFS students participate in research projects with emphasis ranging across technical, behavioral, organizational, and economic domains. Program evaluation activities will include collecting quantitative and qualitative data to refine the program and disseminating outcomes to academic and professional communities. The instructional team includes nine cybersecurity faculty members and a group of supporting faculty representing a wide range of academic departments at UNM and experts from industry. In addition to the coursework, program components include: a research seminar co-designed by UNM, Sandia National Laboratory and Intel Corporation which focuses on the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving; monthly professional development workshops; and an online learning community. CyberCorps(R) students will collaborate on real-world projects with federal agency personnel to gain practical experience and enhance internship and job placement prospects. This project is supported by the CyberCorps(R) Scholarship for Service (SFS) program, which funds proposals establishing or continuing scholarship programs in cybersecurity and aligns with the U.S. National Cyber Strategy to develop a superior cybersecurity workforce. Following graduation, scholarship recipients are required to work in cybersecurity for a Federal, state, local, or tribal Government organization for the same duration as their scholarship support.