NEWS

In response to the critical shortage of highly trained professionals in cybersecurity, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded Louisiana Tech University a $4.06 million renewal grant through their CyberCorps®: Scholarship for Service (SFS) program.

The award will fund 36 students, undergraduate and graduate, with tuition, professional development travel, and a sizeable monthly stipend to students pursuing degrees in computer science or cyber engineering with a cybersecurity focus in the College of Engineering and Science at Louisiana Tech.

Upon completion of the degree and in return, participants are expected to secure a position with the government (federal/state/local/tribal) national labs to defend the nation in cyberspace.

“It was really a team effort to get something this large off the ground,” said Dr. Brad Glisson, associate professor of computer science. “To even be considered to apply for this award, Louisiana Tech must have a Center for Academic Excellence (CAE) designation, to which we are in two areas: cyber defense and research. Since this was a renewal, we could point to our previous successful federal placements to increase our chances to be awarded again.”

“The great effort of Dr. Glisson and his outstanding team is indicative of our student-focused collaborative environment,” said Dr. Collin Wick, dean of the College of Engineering and Science. “We are proud to be one of only two institutions in the state to offer students this opportunity.”

Louisiana Tech is among an elite list of 100 higher education institutions in the nation that run this program. Louisiana Tech’s CyberCorps® is a hybrid program that offers students the opportunity to pursue a bachelor’s degree or continue to complete a master’s degree.