CyberCorps Scholarship for Service (Renewal): SFS@LaTech: Cyber Engineers & Scientists for our Future

Louisiana Tech University, Ruston LA

Investigators

Abstract

Louisiana Tech University (LA Tech) will build on its existing strategy to attract qualified, eligible, interested, and motivated students into the Scholarship for Service (SFS) program. This project will build upon strong institutional support and a mature technical cyber security curriculum in computer science within the multidisciplinary College of Engineering and Science. The SFS program will recruit students from cyber security undergraduate programs in computer science and cyber engineering and a cyber engineering doctorate program supported by expert faculty and world-class research centers. The centers at LA Tech bring together multidisciplinary participants to conduct cybersecurity research and provide real-world training solutions. This project will develop and graduate a total of 36 qualified SFS students over the next five years. The SFS program will establish a fully functioning student-centric Security Operation Center (SOC) at LA Tech. The SOC is based in the student center and staffed predominantly with students who will receive industry-based training from Splunk and operate the SOC during normal business hours. All SOC participating students can acquire a Louisiana Board of Regent (BoR) approved undergraduate Cyber Security Certificate and CompTIA Network+ and Security+ certifications. The SOC training and practical exposure provide an exclusive academic environment that uniquely prepares students for a career in cyber security. This project is supported by the CyberCorps® 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. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.