- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Celebrates Computer Science Educators

John Hill — Fri, 09 Dec 2022 15:23:59 +0000

It’s Computer Science Education Week, an annual call to celebrate the contributions of students, teachers, and partners in the field. We are highlighting our innovative Department of Computer Science with an in-depth interview with Dr. Albert Baker, chair and professor since 2018. What is the current state of the department? We currently have 210 undergraduate majors, of which 46 are pursuing our new cybersecurity degree program. We also have 35 students in the MS in Computer Science program. When I started, we only had nine. We also have 15 doctoral students. With this growth in our graduate programs, we’ll see more of our graduate students moving on to academic as well as industry careers. With the initiatives we are undertaking to develop and promote our interactive immersive technologies (AR/VR) programs, I think we will begin to see solid growth in that area as well. What kind of opportunities are available in the department? Our programs open opportunities on two career paths. One is software developer, which is a pretty broad area that includes�� programming, software design, performance testing, quality assurance, etc. We also have a game option. The game industry is very competitive, but the skills our students get are applicable in interactive immersive technologies (AR/VR) applications in education and training, medical applications, and industrial design. There are an increasing number of opportunities for our students in this emerging area. We have much to highlight in this emerging area of interactive immersive technologies. The Emerging Analytics Center has fabulous facilities for hands-on development and research in that area. Drs. Ivan Conde, Arya Basu, and Jan Springer all have expertise in this area. This is an area of strength for the department, and I am happy about the opportunities that we provide students. I tell prospective students and their parents that we have good opportunities in interactive immersive technologies, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and machine learning, mobile applications, user interface and user experience, and computer graphics/data visualization. If a student has an interest in any of these areas, this is a great place to study. The opportunities for undergraduate students are particularly noteworthy because we have funded positions for students to work on grant funded research as well as industry projects. Those kinds of opportunities for undergraduate students are rare at other universities. How has the department changed since you started? Dr. Carolina Cruz-Neira, former director of the Emerging Analytics Center and former chair of the Department of Computer Science, asked me to develop a stronger sense of community in the department, particularly with undergraduate students. We restored the charter for the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Student Chapter of the Association of Computing Machinery. The ACM is the largest professional society for computing professionals. The dhapter is very active. One of their impactful service projects has been the program to refurbish donated computers and make them available at no cost to students through the COVID pandemic. They have placed over 90 machines repairing hard drives, reinstalling operating systems, and handing out computers to students who needed them. We have continued to innovate the department’s curriculum. In computer science, things are constantly changing. We’ve added courses accessible by students outside our department. For example, we will now have in the catalog a sophomore-level course that is an introduction to machine learning using a no-code environment. This means students who have no coding experience can take the course. One of the most important changes in the department has been the new degree in cybersecurity and some very important industry partnerships. Why has your department taken a lead in promoting cybersecurity education? We’ve been very strategic in the way we’ve laid a foundation for cybersecurity. Huge credit goes to Drs. Philip Huff and Erin Finzer for the creation of CyberLearn. (��Vlog��ý Little Rock received a $1.96 million workforce development grant from the Arkansas Office of Skills Development in the spring to form the Cyber Learning Network, a consortium of seven University of Arkansas System campuses to expand and diversify workforce education in emergent cyber technologies.) With CyberLearn, we are implementing a resource and course sharing network between the partner campuses. For example, if a ��Vlog��ýPB student needs to take a cybersecurity course this summer that is not being offered on that campus, they can register for that ��Vlog��ýPB course, pay ��Vlog��ýPB tuition fees, and actually take the course offered here at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. In addition, with the addition of the National Cyber Teaching Academy funded, in part, by a grant from the NSA, we are training high school teachers so they can teach cybersecurity in Arkansas high schools. The State of Arkansas is requiring one credit in computer science as a graduation requirement for all students starting with the Fall 2023 freshman class. Cybersecurity is one of the ADE-approved computer science pathways meeting this requirement. We have a partnership with cyber industry leader and have really good outreach to the cyber industry in Arkansas. I’m excited about the holistic strategic approach we are taking with cybersecurity training and workforce development. What is coming up for the future of the computer science department? Certainly, cybersecurity will continue to grow and progress rapidly. We are also receiving tremendous feedback on our interactive immersive technologies initiatives. The Emerging Analytics Center (EAC) has been recognized as one of the top AR/VR research and development labs in the country. Between the EAC and the Cyber Arena, we are offering students opportunities unique in the State of Arkansas and beyond. What else would you like to add? I’m proud of the way the department office is running now. Chris Thompson (administrative assistant III) has been fantastic. I would also give a shoutout to Seth Cook who has worked as a GA in the office for the last three years and maintains our social media presence and department website. We are now much more organized and efficient through their efforts. Being in Arkansas has been a productive place to work in that I’ve had an opportunity to meet people at levels that I wouldn’t have had access to in larger states. Lee Watson, CEO, Forge Institute, and Bill Yoder, Executive Director of , are at the top of the list. They are doing tremendous work. Tina Moore and Kelly Griffith at the Arkansas Department of Education are also great to work with. These are just some of the talented Arkansans I’ve had opportunities to work with. The Industrial Advisory Board of the department is proving to be a tremendous asset as well�� and providing excellent guidance to me and the department. Brian Stack, Chief Scientist & Cofounder, LeapXL, chairs our advisory board. I appreciate the leadership he is providing. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and the State of Arkansas are proving to be fertile places to develop innovative, state-of-the-art programs and initiatives in the computing sciences that will help us develop a future-ready workforce. I genuinely appreciate the opportunity I’ve had to serve the Department, College, University, and State of Arkansas.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Awarded $1.96 Million Workforce Development Grant to Support a Regional Cyber Learning Network

John Hill — Wed, 23 Mar 2022 14:26:38 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has received a $1.96 million workforce development grant to fund further development of the Cyber Learning Network (CyberLearN) – a regional cyber-learning partnership with six other schools in the University of Arkansas System to address Arkansas’s talent gap in cybersecurity. The CyberLearN partners include ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, ��Vlog��ý Pine Bluff, ��Vlog��ý – Pulaski Technical College, ��Vlog��ý Cossatot, ��Vlog��ý Hope-Texarkana, ��Vlog��ýCC Batesville, and ��Vlog��ýCC Morrilton. The Forge Institute, the Arkansas Center for Data Sciences, and SmartResume are also collaborating on the initiative. Gov. Asa Hutchinson awarded a total of $7.9 million in Large-Scale Workforce Development Grants to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and eight other organizations during a March 15 press conference at the Jonesboro Chamber of Commerce. The grants were funded by the , a division of the Arkansas Department of Commerce. “We don’t have an unlimited source of funds in Arkansas for workforce training, so we want to invest it wisely,” Gov. Hutchinson said. “And you do that by partnering with industry to guide our training, our funding, so that it results in jobs.” CyberLearN leverages shared resources for the purposes of expanding and diversifying cyber workforce education in Arkansas. The consortium will provide more equitable access to cybersecurity education for Arkansas learners, aligning freshman and sophomore cybersecurity curriculum with ABET, a national accreditation board, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology Standards. CyberLearN partners will share instruction and create a common learning experience through standardized, hybrid-flexible learning spaces that will utilize the cloud-based . “��Vlog��ý Little Rock is proud to lead in creating the Cyber Learning Network, which will put Arkansas on the map for cybersecurity workforce education,” said Dr. Erin Finzer, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs. “This new consortium among academic and nonprofit partners will serve as a model to provide collaborative education and training opportunities across the state. We thank Gov. Hutchinson and the Office of Skills Development for this investment in Arkansas’s economic security and for providing our state with cyber talent for many years to come.” CyberLearN will drive economic development opportunities by providing robust talent pathways and creating opportunities to spur creative innovations. Arkansas currently has more than 3,000 unfilled cybersecurity positions listed on LinkedIn, and that number is expected to continue to grow. Now that Arkansas’s broadband initiatives have provided more internet access across the state, there are more opportunities for cybersecurity professionals to work remotely, which can provide a boost for rural communities. The workforce development grant builds on the commitment and spirit of last year’s ��Vlog��ý System announcement of a $900,000 CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) to boost the state’s statewide workforce recovery from the economic impact of COVID-19 growth through the creation of the ��Vlog��ý System Workforce Response and Training Center. That grant included nine ��Vlog��ý System institutions, led by the Arkansas Economic Development Institute (AEDI) at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, to collect and analyze statewide workforce data and use outcomes to provide existing and bolstered education and training efforts through all seven of the ��Vlog��ý System’s two-year colleges, along with two colleges of technology at the University of Arkansas at Monticello (��Vlog��ýM). “This is a shining example of the synergy that’s possible by harnessing ��Vlog��ý System resources in a collaborative and innovative fashion to continue bolstering the growth of a world-class, highly skilled workforce in Arkansas,” said Chris Thomason, vice president for planning and development for the ��Vlog��ý System. “When we’re able to pool the resources and talent within the ��Vlog��ý System close to Arkansas citizens and in our communities, the momentum that’s created can have a much larger impact on the state’s economic growth and within Arkansas families.” In order to support this economic and workforce development potential, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and its academic partners are providing stackable certificates, which are a set of professional credentials that can be stacked into more advanced certificate and degree programs or may be earned by Arkansas workers wishing to upskill or reskill. Stackable certificates are an innovative way for institutions of higher education to serve working students by providing them with distinct skill sets and manageable motivators on their way to a two-year or four-year degree. “COVID has changed a lot of how we operate in higher education, and this program shows a positive adaptation in meeting the needs of today’s learners,” said Dr. Philip Huff, assistant professor of cybersecurity at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “The workforce needed in cybersecurity is so great right now, and we can’t simply tell the industry to wait four more years for us to provide you with a pipeline of talent when they need it yesterday. These stackable certificates address the immediate need, and also open up new academic paths if a student chooses to continue their education.” The certificate programs, the first of which is pending approval for the Fall 2022 semester, include two certificates of proficiency in cybersecurity fundamentals that “stack” into a technical certificate and associate degree. By completing these foundational certificates, learners will be ready to enroll in upper-level specialized certificates in areas like data security, digital forensics, cybersecurity operations, and software security. These certificates are designed to provide college students and workers with a road to lifelong learning with personalized pathways to learn skills that meet both learner and employer needs. “Higher education should seize every viable opportunity to increase efficiency in the delivery of educational services contributing to workforce education. CyberLearN is exactly this kind of opportunity,” Dr. Albert Baker, chair of the Department of Computer Science at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “It has been, and continues to be, energizing to collaborate on this opportunity to build efficiencies in the development of the Arkansas workforce in the emerging and evermore critically important cybersecurity industry.” While ��Vlog��ý System campuses will provide space and construction and renovation costs for the training operation centers, the grant will provide computer equipment and supplies, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Cyber Arena cloud access for all students, curriculum and instructional design, and tuition and fees for 100 new learners. An additional eight more scholarships will go to instructors from two-year colleges to earn ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s new graduate certificate in cybersecurity education in an effort to expand the cybersecurity teacher workforce in the state. Dr. Steve Cole, chancellor of ��Vlog��ý Cossatot, said one of his biggest worries is how to combat the cyber-attacks that are happening all around the world. This new partnership with CyberLearN will bring education and training opportunities directly to ��Vlog��ý Cossatot and other two-year colleges across the state. Having a skilled workforce that can respond to cyber threats will ensure a resilient economy in Arkansas. “Cybercrime just doesn’t touch large corporations, it even touches the small business owner with one employee,” Cole said. “To combat cybercrime, we must build a workforce of cybersecurity experts, and CyberLearN seeks to address this huge skills gap. Community colleges like ours find it extremely difficult sometimes to start new, technology-rich programs due to the high costs involved and the lack of available instruction, but a collaborative effort like CyberLearN allows us to tap into the talent at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and the Forge Institute to offer cybersecurity programming in our rural area. I am confident that, without this effort it would be difficult to offer a world-class program like this to many rural parts of the state like ours.”

Arkansas Teachers Learning to Educate Students in Cybersecurity from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and ADE

John Hill — Tue, 15 Feb 2022 17:08:12 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock, along with Arkansas Tech University (ATU), has been selected as a co-host for the 2022 Arkansas Computer Science and Computing Educator Academy (CSCEA). The program, which is overseen by the , will provide free tuition for up to 60 Arkansas educators to complete a graduate certificate in cybersecurity education at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock as well as advanced computer science training from the ADE. A grant in excess of $800,000 from the ADE will provide tuition and fees for teachers to take 18 graduate-level hours in computer science and cybersecurity. Participants must be Arkansas residents who are employed by an Arkansas public school district or intend to teach within an Arkansas public school district. “We are excited that ��Vlog��ý Little Rock has joined Arkansas Tech University as a partner for the 2022 Arkansas Computer Science and Computing Educator Academy,” said Anthony Owen, state director of computer science education for the Arkansas Department of Education. “��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s cybersecurity track adds a greatly needed focus area. We are eager to work with the educators engaging in this opportunity as they take this knowledge back to their schools, communities, and students to develop the cyber literate workforce required for today’s constantly connected world.” The CSCEA provides Arkansas residents with a starting point for new teachers to be successful by learning basic computer science; receive preparation for passing the Computer Science Content Knowledge Praxis exam; gain approval to teach high school computer science courses; earn up to 18 graduate-level credits in cybersecurity; and expand skills in specialized areas. The CSCEA expands the number of Arkansas high school teachers who can receive support for graduate-level coursework in teaching cybersecurity. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock will be one of the first universities in the country to offer a graduate certificate in cybersecurity education through the National Cybersecurity Teaching Academy, a collaboration of 10 institutions in nine states. It is funded by a $750,000 grant from the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity, located within the National Security Agency (NSA). ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s graduate certificate is pending approval by the ��Vlog��ý Board of Trustees, the Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board, and Higher Learning Commission approvals. “The National Cyber Teaching Academy is the first of its kind in the nation,” said Sandra Leiterman, managing director of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Cyber Arena and co-principal investigator on the grant. “The state of Arkansas is providing an incredible opportunity for its teachers to earn graduate education in computer science and cybersecurity. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s graduate certificate will provide teachers with the content knowledge they need to teach dedicated cybersecurity courses in high school, as well as courses for high school concurrent credit. This education will help teachers prepare so many of our high school students for future careers in the in-demand field of cybersecurity.” The ADE Office of Computer Science will provide 90 hours of training for participants. This consists of 60 hours of content for candidates who haven’t passed the Computer Science Content Knowledge Praxis exam and 30 hours of advanced training that varies based on the participant’s interests and needs. Participants who complete the initial 90 hours of training will be awarded six hours of graduate-level computer science credit and are eligible to have tuition and fees covered for 12 additional graduate hours at their selected public university partner. “This initiative demonstrates ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s commitment to partnering with ADE and other state leaders in education and the cyber industry to create a coordinated ecosystem of cybersecurity career and educational pathways for P-20 (pre-K through graduate school) learners,” said Dr. Erin Finzer, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs. “As we work with educational providers, government agencies, non-profits, and industry to grow Arkansas’s knowledge economy, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock will implement this model in other high-demand, high-paying fields as we work with partners in education, government, non-profits, and industry to grow Arkansas’s knowledge economy.” Educators who attend ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in this program will become part of the National Cyber Teaching Academy, the first NSA graduate certificate program for high school cybersecurity educators in the country. Graduates will receive a graduate certificate that will allow them to teach high school concurrent credit courses for cybersecurity and computer science in Arkansas and beyond. “This grant will put Arkansas at the top in the nation for the percentage of high school students choosing a cybersecurity profession,” said Dr. Philip Huff, assistant professor of cybersecurity at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “We have the potential to develop a network of over 60 schools in Arkansas that can offer an advanced course in cybersecurity for college credit. It’s another example of Arkansas becoming a national trendsetter in computer science education.” Educators who choose this track will begin classes at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock either in the summer or fall, depending on their schedule, and will complete the graduate certificate by December 2023. Courses will include Teaching Cybersecurity, Foundations in Cybersecurity, Cybersecurity Operations, and Cybersecurity Practicum. Members of the Arkansas Cyber Teaching Academy will also have access to a network of more than 100 high school cybersecurity teachers nationwide, receive practicum experience in a real cybersecurity operations environment, and have access to the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Cyber Arena and its library of hands-on attack and defense scenarios tailed to the curriculum. “Both the breadth and depth of the cybersecurity initiatives that Dr. Huff and Ms. Leiterman are leading for the Department of Computer Science establish ��Vlog��ý Little Rock as a national leader in cyber defense,” said Dr. Albert Baker, chair of the Department of Computer Science at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “Along with outstanding and well-funded research, they are developing programs to serve ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and Arkansas K-12 students, Arkansas teachers, the Arkansas workforce, and the economic development of the state.” Any teachers who would like to apply for the 2022 Arkansas Computer Science and Computing Educator . The ADE Office of Computer Science will host an informational webinar with representatives from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and ATU for interested participants from 3-5 p.m. Feb. 24. Those interested may register for the event .

��Vlog��ý Little Rock to Host Cybersecurity Panel Discussion Oct. 21

John Hill — Fri, 15 Oct 2021 13:17:46 +0000

In celebration of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock will hold a panel discussion with the top cybersecurity experts at the university. The panel will be held from 2-3 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 21, in Dickinson Hall Auditorium. Cybersecurity Awareness Month is a collaboration between the Department of Homeland Security and National Cyber Security Alliance. It was created to ensure individuals stay safe and secure online. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s cybersecurity panel will focus on the 2021 theme, “Do Your Part #BeCyberSmart.” The panelists will give a timely and informative discussion on how people can improve online security and share recent cybersecurity events that have occurred at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. The panelists include Dr. Philip Huff, assistant professor of computer science, Dr. Nitin Agarwal, Jerry L. Maulden-Entergy endowed chair and distinguished professor of information science and director of the Collaboratorium for Social Media and Online Behavioral Studies (COSMOS), Dr. Thomas Bunton, chief information officer at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, and Dr. Veysel Erdag, chief information security office at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Dr. Erin Finzer, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs, will serve as moderate.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Will Offer Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity Education Through National Cybersecurity Teaching Academy

John Hill — Tue, 05 Oct 2021 13:43:50 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has received a $750,000 grant from the , located within the National Security Agency, and will be one of the first universities in the country to offer a graduate certificate in cybersecurity education through the National Cybersecurity Teaching Academy. The National Cybersecurity Teaching Academy is a collaboration of 10 institutions in nine states that will offer the first credentialing program for high school cybersecurity education in the country. The inaugural program will prepare 90 high school teachers to teach an advanced cybersecurity course. “Providing these educational resources to our partners at the secondary level strengthens our fight against cyber crime while attracting more students into a reliable and exciting career pipeline,” said Chancellor Christina Drale. “The demand for cybersecurity professionals shows no sign of slowing down as more businesses become increasingly dependent on technology.” Teachers who are accepted into the National Cybersecurity Teaching Academy will receive funding covering tuition for the 12-credit hour virtual graduate certificate. Teachers who complete the academy will also have the option to complete six additional credit hours that will certify them to teach dual/concurrent enrollment cybersecurity courses. The National Cybersecurity Teaching Academy is an excellent fit with Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s and the Arkansas Department of Education’s efforts to make K-12 computer science education a priority. “With the increasingly complex cyberthreats our nation has endured and will continue to face, it is the responsibility of our state and schools to produce students prepared to defend our systems against those threats,” said Anthony Owen, state director of computer science education at the Arkansas Department of Education. “��Vlog��ý Little Rock has remained a great partner to the Arkansas Computer Science and Computing Initiative since it was started by Governor Hutchinson in 2015. The announcement of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock team seeking out and being awarded a federal grant which will provide cybersecurity training to Arkansas high school teachers is another example of their continued and innovative commitment to the initiative, our educators, and students of Arkansas.” ��Vlog��ý Little Rock is one of only three universities in the country who will offer the National Cybersecurity Teaching Academy, along with the University of Louisville and DePaul University. Each university has a regional college and community college partner who will help with curriculum development and teacher recruitment. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s partners are California State University, Sacramento and Estrella Mountain Community College. “This is a great opportunity for high school teachers,” said Philip Huff, assistant professor of cybersecurity at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “They will get experience in a new subject where expert knowledge is required. Teachers who complete the academy will come back with real-world experience in teaching cybersecurity classes, an in-depth understanding of cybersecurity, and great materials for their future courses. The program will help teachers provide students with opportunities in one of the fastest growing careers in the country.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock students demonstrate the universitys cloud-based cybersecurity lab, the Cyber Arena. Photo by Ben Krain.

The academy’s partner institutions will also work with DARK Enterprises, a nonprofit that specializes in cybersecurity education at the secondary education level. The coalition will provide opportunities to build pathways toward dual/concurrent enrollment and 2+2 programs with high schools. The graduate certificate program is grounded in the High School Cybersecurity Curriculum Guidelines, the development of which was pioneered by DARK Enterprises and the National Cryptologic Museum Foundation. This will move high school cybersecurity education toward a more standardized body of knowledge to build courses and pathways. The first cohort of the National Cybersecurity Teaching Academy will begin with an Introduction to Cybersecurity Education course in the spring 2022 semester followed by six credit hours during summer 2022. In their second summer, teachers will study the working environment for cybersecurity professionals and complete a practicum with local industry partners to gain real-world experience. Cybersecurity remains one of the most in-demand careers in the country. This new graduate certificate will help fill the gap for cybersecurity professionals in the state. “Cybersecurity is a rapidly growing field, in which the need for qualified employees is far outpacing the number of available candidates,” said Sandra Leiterman, managing director of the Cyber Arena. “One way to address this shortage is by increasing awareness and interest in cybersecurity by providing high school students with the fundamental knowledge they need in order to pursue a career in cybersecurity. The National Cybersecurity Teaching Academy will help to bridge the gap between the job demand and the size of the workforce needed to fill the vacancies.”�� People may register to receive more information , or contact Jenny Daugherty at jenny.daugherty@darkenterprisesinc.com for questions about the program.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock will offer cybersecurity certificate through higher education partnership

John Hill — Fri, 13 Aug 2021 14:34:41 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock is partnering with a higher education consortium led by the University of Louisville to offer an online Cybersecurity Workforce Certificate program funded by the National Security Agency (NSA). ��Vlog��ý Little Rock was chosen to participate in this project because of the college’s earned designation as an NSA Center for Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense. “We are excited to work on this workforce program,” said Dr. Mariofanna Milanova, the project lead for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and a professor of computer science. “It will better position our state and country to defend against cyber adversaries.” As a part of the NSA grant, first responders, including police officers, EMTs, firefighters, and healthcare workers, and military veterans can participate in the program at no cost. In addition to the certificate, participants will be able to earn industry-recognized badges from tech leaders such as Google, Microsoft, and IBM. The certificate program focuses on enhancing student knowledge in the realm of cybersecurity foundational courses, while using healthcare data examples and use cases. Participants may complete a total of 24 modules during the six-month program. The modules will cover topics like artificial intelligence, cyber threat hunting, network security, data mining, blockchain, digital forensics, database security, cloud security, Internet of Things, post quantum cryptography, risk analysis, and robotics process automation analysis. ”There are three levels in this certification,” said Philip Huff, assistant professor of cybersecurity. “The explorer level provides foundational training in cybersecurity for IT professionals seeking to improve their understanding of cybersecurity. The practitioner level includes training for working in cybersecurity operations and includes topics in network security, cyber threat hunting, and forensics. Then the professional level includes several advanced topics in artificial intelligence, blockchain, and cloud security.” The program is offered asynchronously online and includes virtual labs developed through the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Cyber Arena. Although fully online, instructors are available through virtual office hours, and each student will be assigned a success coach. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock is working with the , a nonprofit organization that specializes in developing private-public partnerships that advance cyber operational objectives, to help test the cybersecurity curriculum through its existing cybersecurity boot camp, where participants are trained to become cybersecurity analysts. Researchers at the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Cyber Arena, an education and simulation model laboratory for cybersecurity learning, are developing next-generation tools for delivering and assessing the cybersecurity curriculum for the certificate program. This will provide an exciting research opportunity for students who are entering the new bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity that begins this fall. Each cohort has 40 spots available. The next cohort start dates are Nov. 22, 2021; Jan. 24, 2022; and March 14, 2022. Those interested may visit to apply for the Cybersecurity Workforce Certificate program. For more information, contact Sandra Leiterman at saleiterman@ualr.edu or visit the .

Forge Institute Partners with ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Cyber Arena to support NSA-sponsored Cybersecurity Summer Camp in Arkansas

John Hill — Thu, 01 Jul 2021 14:45:14 +0000

The has announced a partnership with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s , the cybersecurity-focused lab within the Department of Computer Science. The initiative will support the first National Security Agency (NSA)-sponsored GenCyber Summer Camp in Arkansas for 7th-12th graders. The free cybersecurity summer camp is part of an initiative that brings educators, industry, and state leaders together to drive interest and long-term investment in secondary school cybersecurity education. It is funded by a $100,000 grant from the NSA. “This program provides students with an engaging experience,” said Philip Huff, assistant professor of cybersecurity at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “This unique camp ensures a fun time for students at all levels of technical ability. We want each student to come away feeling excited and confident about cybersecurity. The Cyber Arena provides experiences in phishing, ransomware, cryptography, forensics, and many more types of hands-on technologies. Plus, each day students reflect on ethical questions in cybersecurity and data privacy, learning through recent events. We hope to send campers back home pumped up to learn more about cybersecurity classes offered at their schools.” Forge Institute is providing instructors and guest speakers from its vast network of subject matter experts. The organization is also assisting with curriculum development by providing insight to spark the interest of the camp’s participants and encourage their pursuit of a career in cybersecurity. “This is going to be an exciting two weeks for all of the participants,” said Scott Anderson, executive director of Forge Institute. “They will have an opportunity to hear from experts in cybersecurity from across the nation and come away with more awareness of what a career in cybersecurity looks like. This is a fantastic opportunity for Arkansas students. I am hoping many will choose a career in IT or cybersecurity. Events like these are essential to growing the state’s pipeline of talent that our organizations need to protect their systems and networks. We are excited about Arkansas’s first GenCyber Summer Camp and our partnership with the awesome team at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, who is making cybersecurity education a priority for their faculty, students, and the state’s future workforce.” Forge Institute has helped promote this opportunity and will be involved throughout the execution of the camp, along with post-camp activities to hopefully make this an annual event.��

Graduate Chance Melby Has Provided Cybersecurity Education for Hundreds of Arkansas Students

John Hill — Wed, 02 Jun 2021 14:17:49 +0000

Chance Melby, a Donaghey Scholar from Cabot, first got hooked on cybersecurity when he interned with the Cabot Public School District Technology Department during high school.�� “Originally, I was accepted into the Donaghey Scholars Program and that solidified my choice into going to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock,” Melby said. “I also heard the Computer Science Program was one of the best in the state. I saw the opportunities that computer science and the City of Little Rock could give me. I wanted to get my foot in the door and learn new things. I knew ��Vlog��ý Little Rock was a place where I could excel.” He graduated this semester with a bachelor’s degree in computer science with a focus on cybersecurity and is looking forward to a future career in cybersecurity. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock is starting its first bachelor’s degree program in cybersecurity this fall. Melby has been instrumental in the development of the Cyber Arena, which provides cloud-based cybersecurity education for K-12 students in Arkansas. “I discovered that Arkansas has too many unfilled cybersecurity positions and not enough skilled professionals,” Melby said. “To address this issue, I dedicated myself to ensuring that each Arkansas student has the opportunity to learn about cybersecurity so that our communities may use their future expertise to protect everyone’s data and privacy.” As a hands-on learner, Melby dedicated himself to studying and participating in competitions that would propel his skills in cybersecurity. He served as president of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Cybersecurity Club and participated in events like the Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition, Jolt Hackathon, United States Cyber Challenge, and Walmart’s Sp4rckCon 2.0. The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Cyber Arena hosts educational materials and threat exercises on cybersecurity for students and teachers on the Google Cloud platform. Melby has created nine out of the 24 labs available on the cloud. These labs have been used by more than 450 K-12 students across 80 Arkansas schools. “Chance has worked on the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Cyber Arena since the beginning and has seen it reach schools all across Arkansas,” said Philip Huff, assistant professor of computer science at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “The workouts he develops are always popular among students. He has a gift for communicating the complexities of cybersecurity in a way students connect with and enjoy.” Melby recently won second place in the university’s Student Research and Creative Works Expo for one of the educational projects he’s developed for the Cyber Arena, “��Vlog��ý Little Rock Classified: An Intentionally Vulnerable Web Application Focused on Teaching K-12 and Undergraduate Students about Web Application Security.” “The web application is called ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Classified because it has a story element attached to it in which fictional Cyber Arena employees try to secure classified flags,” Melby said. “They do a horrible job at it, hence the vulnerable web application. The student is tasked with finding those flags. By providing fun, engaging scenarios about ‘secret classified documents’ and challenging yet straightforward exercises to retrieve these ‘documents,’ more students could excel and learn about web application security.” As he became more adept in web application development and cybersecurity, Melby used his skills to work with Cyber Arena partners.�� “The first partnership I worked with was the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center (ASBTDC) for a Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification assessment hosted as a Google Cloud container web application,” he said. “After that project, I took up my current project with the NSA on threat exercises to teach about protecting private healthcare information from IoT attacks.” Melby counts Dr. Simon Hawkins and Dr. Jessica Scott from the Donaghey Scholars Honors Program as mentors who “gave me an opportunity that changed my life.” “Chance is going to go do great things in cybersecurity. He has an evangelical zeal on the topic,” said Hawkins, director of the Donaghey Scholars Honors Program. “He explains the complexity of the field so well that he can make even the most befuddled liberal arts professor feel that they understand the ideas. He is committed to working with the growing cybersecurity industry in Central Arkansas.” Chance is also thankful to Philip Huff for always making his life interesting in college. “He is my primary advisor, professor, my mentor, and boss,” Melby said. “He gave me the opportunity to work with Arkansas students through the Cyber Arena, and taught me so many technical skills. He’s taught me so much. If Philip Huff wasn’t at this university, I believe we’d be having a different conversation. My story might not even have been interesting enough to tell.” Melby also volunteers with Girls of Promise as part of a virtual program to educate and encourage young women interested in STEM about career opportunities in cybersecurity through the Cyber Arena. “There are not enough skilled cybersecurity professionals out there,” Melby said. “Women are underrepresented in the STEM area. With this program and my volunteering, I was hoping to encourage these young women to get interested in a STEM career, hopefully cybersecurity.” Following his graduation, Melby will start an internship at Arkansas Electric Cooperative, begin testing for more certifications, and look for a permanent position in cybersecurity. “What’s next is to get my foot in the door to find a career in cybersecurity in Arkansas,” Melby said. “Even though I’ve graduated, I’ll still be a student at heart going for these certifications in computer science and cybersecurity. Now that I’ve graduated, it’s surreal to think how four years went by so fast. Now I’m ready to get out there and put what I learned to the test.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Partners with Forge Institute to Grow Skilled Cybersecurity Workforce

John Hill — Tue, 26 Jan 2021 19:11:10 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock and the Forge Institute have partnered to strengthen the cybersecurity workforce development in Arkansas by providing academic credit for those who complete professional development courses in cybersecurity at the Forge Institute. Under the terms of the recently signed collaboration agreement, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock will award successful graduates of the Forge Institute’s IT/Cybersecurity Fundamentals certificate academic credit towards a bachelor’s degree in computer science or cybersecurity at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “This is truly an exciting and innovative opportunity for the IT workforce in Arkansas,” said Dr. Al Baker, chair of the Department of Computer Science at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “I thank Forge Institute for providing invaluable advice as we have built our programs and curricula in cybersecurity in the Department of Computer Science. The partnership is strong and growing.” Each institution has thoroughly reviewed the curriculum and mapped academic requirements to corresponding aspects of Forge Institute’s professional development program.�� The first Forge Institute course that is eligible for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock course credit is IT/Cyber Fundamentals. Those participants who successfully complete the Forge Institute course can receive three hours of academic credit for CSEC 1310, Intro to Cybersecurity, which is a required course for the bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity. “We are excited to further expand our partnership with Professor Philip Huff, Dr. Al Baker, Dr. Erin Finzer, and the team at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock,” said Lee Watson, chairman and CEO of Forge Institute. “This rather unique relationship will further cement Arkansas as a leader in cybersecurity and help provide the skilled talent pipeline required by the private and public sector employers.” ��Vlog��ý Little Rock is designated an academic center of excellence by the National Security Agency and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. “This is an exciting collaboration for us as we begin a new Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity degree in the fall,” said Philip Huff, professor of cybersecurity in the Department of Computer Science. “The overwhelming demand for cybersecurity professionals requires us to reimagine how we in higher education design our programs. This partnership between ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and Forge Institute creates a two-way path between cybersecurity professionals and our cybersecurity degree program programs. We are working together to prepare students for an exciting and challenging profession.” For more information, visit . In the upper right photo, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock visitors tour the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Cyber Gym, which opened in December 2019. Photo by Ben Krain.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Cyber Gym dispatched in 80+ high schools in Arkansas

John Hill — Thu, 10 Dec 2020 18:02:10 +0000

More than 450 students across over 80 high schools in Arkansas are learning about the in-demand field of cybersecurity through the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s .�� “Cybersecurity learning is incorporated as a pathway in the state’s Computer Science initiative,” said Philip Huff, assistant professor of computer science and cybersecurity. “We provide an interactive environment for students to both walk through various cyber attacks and learn how to defend systems. It serves to both engage students in what they are learning and hopefully interest them in learning more. Our student researchers are very creative, which makes the workouts even more engaging. They aren’t just looking through logs. We have monkeys, snakes, detectives, and old Rick Astley songs to make the learning a little more fun.” The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Cyber Gym, which provides cybersecurity education in the cloud, began offering a cybersecurity curriculum that is offered at no cost to schools and students. The Cyber Gym was developed this year as part of a partnership with the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) Office of Computer Science, the Arch Ford Education Service Cooperative’s Virtual Arkansas division, and the University of Central Arkansas. “This effort directly supports the governor’s programs for computer science and cybersecurity education. We’re proud the Cyber Gym is a teaching tool that is being used so effectively by high school students in Arkansas,” said Dr. Albert Baker, interim chair of the Department of Computer Science. “The level of usage of the Cyber Gym in this initial semester of use is a reflection of the excellent quality of the cloud-based software development that has been done by Philip and his team. The launch has been about as flawless as a software system launch can be.” The curriculum supports teachers and students through the increasingly rigorous and relevant cybersecurity concepts, which will lead to more of the state’s students being prepared for industry recognized certifications and to enter post-secondary cybersecurity programs. “Teachers have been very complementary and also helpful in making the Cyber Gym better,” Huff said. “The teacher of the largest virtual class with 200 students told us her students have really become engaged in cybersecurity. We don’t interact directly with the students, but I do get feedback when I’m out and someone sees the Cyber Gym shirt. I was able to recruit a student while I was picking up dinner when they noticed Cyber Gym on my facemask.”�� The Cyber Gym is made possible through a partnership with the Arkansas Department of Education and Google as well as through a grant funded by the National Science Foundation. A grant from Google for the online lab environment gives the university the ability to run 2,000 distinct classroom labs a month for the 2020-2021 school year. The Cyber Gym utilizes a safe and highly accessible cloud environment that deploys workouts for students to build their skills in cybersecurity applications.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock students demonstrate the university’s cloud-based cybersecurity lab, the Cyber Gym. Photo by Ben Krain.

“While the students can learn a lot of concrete skills, such as basic cryptography or the mechanics of a DoS attack, I think the main takeaway is an enhanced awareness of cyber threats and the steps the individual can take to avoid those threats,” said Samuel Willis, a graduate student in computer science from Bryant. “With the firsthand experience offered by the workouts, we hope that students will develop a more intuitive understanding of cybersecurity principles.” ��Vlog��ý Little Rock student researchers are gaining valuable experience and cybersecurity skills by creating the lessons and workouts the high school students take in the Cyber Gym. “I have learned a lot by working in the Cyber Gym,” said Andrew Bomberger, a senior computer science major from Hot Springs. “Starting out, I had limited knowledge and was lacking in critical thinking skills. Since then, I’ve noticed an improvement in almost all skill sets, such as a better understanding of programming, security, and even more confidence! You’ve heard the saying, ‘Experience is the best teacher?’ I feel I am a direct testament to that.” In the Cyber Gym, Arkansas’s junior high and high school students are learning essential cybersecurity skills like programming, data analysis, cryptography, and how to defend against cyber attacks using popular tools like IDA, Autopsy, and Nessus. Following the completion of their lessons, the students put these skills to the test with workouts created by ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students, which are often based on cybersecurity competitions they’ve competed in. “They can expect to experience what a ransomware or phishing attack will look like and the general safety practices to follow up to help combat these attacks,” Bomberger said. “Since almost everything is tied to a computer nowadays, it’s imperative that users of all ages know how to protect themselves. The critical thinking skills could also expand past the digital realm as well.”

- University News Archive - ����Vlog��ý Little Rock

����Vlog��ý Little Rock Celebrates Computer Science Educators

����Vlog��ý Little Rock Awarded $1.96 Million Workforce Development Grant to Support a Regional Cyber Learning Network

Arkansas Teachers Learning to Educate Students in Cybersecurity from ����Vlog��ý Little Rock and ADE

����Vlog��ý Little Rock to Host Cybersecurity Panel Discussion Oct. 21

����Vlog��ý Little Rock Will Offer Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity Education Through National Cybersecurity Teaching Academy

����Vlog��ý Little Rock will offer cybersecurity certificate through higher education partnership

Forge Institute Partners with ����Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Cyber Arena to support NSA-sponsored Cybersecurity Summer Camp in Arkansas