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NSF Grant Allows for Creation of New Cybersecurity Program at Chestnut Hill College

NSF Grant Allows for Creation of New Cybersecurity Program at Chestnut Hill College

Pam King presents at the 2nd annual CHC Digital Forensics and Cybersecurity conference

November 1, 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: 

Cristina Diaz 
Media and Community Relations Manager
215.753.3664

Chestnut Hill College Receives National Science Foundation Grant -
Cybersecurity Program to be Offered at the College

Philadelphia, PA- Chestnut Hill College (CHC) is preparing to design, develop and implement the first Cybersecurity undergraduate degree program in the Philadelphia area thanks to the newly announced Cyber Sentinels Program. The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded Chestnut Hill College a $235,980 three-year capacity building grant through the CyberCorps Scholarship for Service (SFS) program.  NSF developed the SFS grant program in response to a national shortage of experts in cybersecurity. Through the SFS grant program, the NSF supports the educational and professional development of students who will help protect the infrastructure of our nation’s critical information.

"We are so fortunate to have been granted funding from NSF for building this new Cybersecurity degree program,” said Pamela King, M.S., principal investigator and instructor in digital forensics. “The Cyber Sentinel program at CHC will be a wonderful opportunity for students to begin careers in a cutting-edge field with high job growth and good salary potential.  We look forward to working with industry and experts in the field to create a challenging and effective program."

CHC will partner with cybersecurity experts from both industry and government agencies, to develop and implement the new curriculum. In addition, these recruited experts will serve as adjunct professors developing the students’ understanding of cybersecurity through hands on experience. Cybersecurity students will receive training in today’s technology-laden environment by interacting not only with real-world experts, but with the actual hardware and software that is being used in the day-to-day workplace.

“I am delighted that this NSF grant has afforded the College the opportunity to develop the first Cybersecurity degree program in Philadelphia,” said President Carol Jean Vale, SSJ, Ph.D. “In today’s world that is more interconnected than ever, having the ability to offer an in-demand undergraduate degree program that will produce a workforce of well-trained cybersecurity professionals can only serve to benefit our global community.”

Pamela King, M.S., principal investigator and instructor in digital forensics will guide the program along with Lisa Olivieri, SSJ, Ph.D., co-principal investigator, associate professor of computer science and technology and chair of the Computer Science and Information Technology Department.  

In addition to the College receiving this NSF grant, Chestnut Hill College was recently awarded a school charter status by the International Board of the High Technology Crime Investigation Association (HTCIA) — CHC is one of only 14 school charters in the world.  The CHC HTCIA chapter is hosted by the Delaware Valley chapter of the HTCIA. 

CHC is thrilled to be at the forefront of developing the next generation of cybersecurity experts and will be sharing its new curriculum through different academic-industry partnerships with colleges throughout the nation. In addition, the team will apply for the designation as a National Centers of Academic Excellence (CAE) program, jointly sponsored by The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and The National Security Agency (NSA). The official NSF abstract may be found here: CHC Cyber Sentinels.

 

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About Chestnut Hill College

Celebrating more than 90 years of tradition and risk, Chestnut Hill College is a four-year coed Catholic college in the Ignatian tradition that offers a traditional liberal arts undergraduate program as well as accelerated undergraduate degrees, master’s and doctoral programs. The College has been rated by US News & World Report as among the best master’s universities in the North, as among the best Northeastern colleges by The Princeton Review, and has been classified as selective by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Since 1924, the College has offered a rigorous curriculum that provides students with a broad background in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. The goal of Chestnut Hill College has been to prepare students for life’s challenges by helping them to grow intellectually, spiritually, emotionally, and socially.

For more information about this press release or other Chestnut Hill College news, contact the News and Community Relations office.