In December, nearly 70 attendees focused on cybersecurity students and their research at the Fall 2024 UCCS-Catalyst Campus for Technology and Innovation (CCTI) Cybersecurity Research Exchange. Showcasing student research was the goal of this exchange.
The series of research exchange events was created by Shouhuai Xu, Ph.D., professor of cybersecurity in the computer science Department and Gallogly Chair in Cybersecurity. Xu said, “We created this series of events in 2022 with the intent to strengthen and elevate cybersecurity research collaborations between local industry and UCCS faculty and students.”
Undergraduate and graduate cybersecurity students, some in teams, gave lightning presentations of over 30 different research projects to industry participants. That event was followed up with in-depth engagement during the poster networking session. This gave students the opportunity to describe their research in greater detail to people with technical depth in cybersecurity, answer questions, and discuss connections to industry. Most of the posters were presented by students from the College of Engineering and Applied Science, who appreciated the opportunity to meet with industry representatives, improve their technical presentation skills, and get feedback on their research.
In two highly attended panels, panelists tackled topics of interest to the future workforce in cybersecurity: technical and non-technical skills employers desire when hiring, and how to deepen research collaboration with industry, which included internships and research projects with faculty.
In thinking about the research exchanges overall, Xu explained, “This series of events has played a significant role in catalyzing new collaborations between our industrial partners and our faculty as evidenced by joint research projects. We hope it will continue to catalyze many more research collaborations. Moreover, we hope this series of events will help our industrial partners in identifying our students for research interns and employment.”
Past successes from the event were collaboration in the RISE National Science Foundation (NSF) Engines Development Award spearheaded by CCTI and collaborations with local businesses in Department of Defense Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) awards.
UCCS is a National Security Agency (NSA) Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity Defense. This designation attests to the rigor of the cybersecurity programs at UCCS. UCCS recently earned a new designation as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity Research. UCCS holds a state grant to expand knowledge of cybersecurity and the workforce in Colorado.
About Cybersecurity at UCCS
UCCS is a recognized cybersecurity education leader in the region, awarding hundreds of degrees each year in cybersecurity fields at bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels. UCCS cybersecurity programs train security professionals who work to ensure the nation’s security, support faculty research and strategic cybersecurity partnerships with industry, government, military and academic institutions, including the U.S. Space Force and the National Cybersecurity Center. Due to generous Colorado state funding of cybersecurity education, UCCS students are eligible for significant financial aid towards security degree scholarships. Learn more about Cybersecurity Programs at UCCS.
About the UCCS College of Engineering and Applied Science
The College of Engineering and Applied Science enrolls more than 1,700 students and offers 24 engineering and computer science degrees, ranging from bachelor to doctoral. The college is a Department of Homeland Security / National Security Agency Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense and works closely with the National Cybersecurity Center and with more than 250 aerospace and defense, information technology, cybersecurity and engineering organizations in the Pikes Peak region. Learn more about the College of Engineering and Applied Science at UCCS.
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