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Louisiana Tech, CSC partner to produce high-tech opportunities across region

Feb 19, 2014 | General News

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Louisiana Tech University has entered into a partnership with global IT leader Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC), Louisiana Economic Development (LED) FastStart, and the Cyber Innovation Center in Bossier City to offer current and prospective students a comprehensive suite of cyber-related programs and career opportunities designed to meet the current and future needs of CSC.

Governor Bobby Jindal made the announcement Tuesday at the Cyber Innovation Center (CIC) where CSC will establish a 116,000 square-foot technology center that is expected to have an 800 direct jobs impact statewide, within the next four years.  Louisiana Tech President Les Guice and Vice President for Research and Development Stan Napper were also in attendance along with representatives from CSC, CIC, LED and business and community leaders throughout north Louisiana.

Louisiana Tech President Les Guice discusses CSC partnership during Tuesday press conference at CIC.

Louisiana Tech President Les Guice discusses CSC partnership during Tuesday press conference at CIC.

“Today is a culmination of efforts, but it’s also a beginning or what we in higher education call a ‘commencement,’” said Guice during his address to the attendees.  “This partnership is going to have an enormous impact across this region and across this state.  It’s an excellent opportunity for Louisiana Tech students and graduates to work with a premier technology company with leading-edge tools and resources to help solve some of the world’s most complex problems.

“This partnership is also a great opportunity for our citizens to grow and prosper right here in north Louisiana without seeing our children leave for other states to work and realize their career aspirations.”

Using its academic and certificate program strengths in areas such as computer science, computer information systems and cyber engineering, Louisiana Tech will produce graduates with skills that closely align with the needs of CSC while offering graduates unprecedented career opportunities in north Louisiana.  The partnership also seeks to expand the state’s knowledge economy by keeping more of its top graduates, from high-tech and high-demand fields, working within Louisiana.

“The center that we are opening here in Bossier City is going to be central to our workforce and technology initiatives and strategies,” said Dave Zolet, executive vice president and general manager for CSC.  “Louisiana Tech and the other colleges and universities in the area will play a vital role in tailoring programs and curricula to develop and advance the next generation’s IT workforce.”

Headquartered in Falls Church, Va. and with major offices in Australia, Asia and Europe, CSC has over 80,000 employees serving clients in more than 70 countries.  CSC is a global leader in next-generation IT services and solutions with a mission to enable superior returns on clients’ technology investments through best-in-class industry solutions, domain expertise and global scale.

“In supporting CSC’s future workforce needs, Louisiana Tech’s computer science program will likely rank among the nation’s Top 20 for the number of bachelor’s degrees in computer science awarded annually by an engineering school, with a No. 1 national ranking anticipated for the cyber engineering program,” said Jindal.  “Together, Louisiana Tech, the Cyber Innovation Center and CSC will develop tomorrow’s information technology ecosystem in northwest Louisiana.”

CSC’s new center will become an anchor tenant of the 3,000-acre National Cyber Research Park in Bossier City which is being developed by the CIC.  CSC selected Bossier City following a competitive site-selection process during which the company considered 134 locations around the country.  In addition to providing 40,000 square-feet of temporary operating space for CSC, the Cyber Innovation Center will support the development of the new technology center and manage the facility after its construction at the National Cyber Research Park.

“In one day, we have established a new sector in north Louisiana with the ability to keep our kids here, providing them with new opportunities, and not seeing them depart for other states to begin and build their careers,” said Craig Spohn, president of the CIC.  “Today’s announcement is truly transformative for our region and the support of our Governor and our legislators has been invaluable to our work here at CIC and the opportunities that will result from this partnership.”

Louisiana Tech and the CIC have enjoyed a strong, collaborative relationship over the past several years.  The two organizations have shared in the development and advancement of programs and partnerships such as the Cyber Discovery Camps, the Cyber Engineering Research Conferences, and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) initiatives built to create the next generation of scientific thinkers and innovators in north Louisiana.

The CIC serves as catalyst for the development and expansion of a knowledge-based workforce throughout the region.  CIC also seeks to diversify the region’s economic base by promoting research, education, and technological innovation and fostering collaborative and strategic alliances between governmental agencies, private industry, and academic institutions.

The State of Louisiana will provide $14 million in funding over 10 years to expand higher-education programs designed primarily to increase the number of annual graduates in computer science and cyber-related fields.  Louisiana Tech will receive at least 65 percent of these program expansion funds, which will help it work toward quadrupling its total undergraduate degrees awarded annually in computer science, computer information systems and cyber engineering over the next five to six years.

For more information on Louisiana Tech’s computer science, computer information systems, and cyber engineering programs as well as the partnership with CSC and the opportunities that await prospective students and graduates, please visit http://ace.latech.edu and complete an online Expression of Interest form.  Interested parties can also contact program coordinators via email at ace@latech.edu.