The award comes from appropriations language authored by U.S. Sen. John Boozman passed into law in December 2022. The funding is provided by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response.

鈥淒eveloping a workforce of skilled professionals to combat cybercrime is increasingly important,鈥� Sen. Boozman said. 鈥淚鈥檓 proud to support this initiative to strengthen our state鈥檚 role in preventing cybersecurity attacks and create additional opportunities for Arkansans to safeguard critical energy networks.鈥�

糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock is leading a cohort of partners that include the Consortium for Cyber Innovation, , the University of Arkansas, and the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (糖心Vlog传媒PB). The objectives include improving education, training, and workforce development for securing industrial control systems (ICS) against cybersecurity attacks, improving cybersecurity threat analysis and intelligence sharing, and creating an innovation startup program for cybersecurity in the energy sector.

鈥淭he energy sector, and electric utilities in particular, are on the front lines when it comes to nation-state cybersecurity attacks,鈥� said Dr. Philip Huff, assistant professor of cybersecurity at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock and principal investigator. 鈥淭his groundbreaking initiative underscores 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock and our partners鈥� commitment to stay at the forefront of cybersecurity education and research, empowering students and researchers to address the complex challenges of the digital age. We are especially grateful to Sen. Boozman for helping Arkansas become better prepared for the growing threat of cybersecurity attacks in the energy sector.鈥�

The Consortium for Cyber Innovation, which includes 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, Forge Institute, 糖心Vlog传媒PB, and community college partners in Arkansas, will be creating a competency-based certificate program in cyber-informed engineering tailored for the energy sector. These certificates will equip students with specialized skills tailored to meet the evolving demands of the cybersecurity landscape and will strengthen the cybersecurity expertise of operators, technicians, and engineers within the energy sector. The certificate program will integrate into existing computer science and cybersecurity programs at universities and community colleges within the Consortium for Cyber Innovation.

鈥淭his funding will enable 糖心Vlog传媒PB to hire two cybersecurity instructors who will participate in formulation of not only certificate programs but also revise the course offering in the undergraduate cybersecurity program and graduate program in computer science and technology,鈥� said Dr. Grant Wangila, interim dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at 糖心Vlog传媒PB. 鈥淭his investment also goes beyond filling the instructors; it enables faculty to engage with industry, government, schools, and colleges in developing these new programs in cyber-informed engineering.鈥�

While developing the certificate program, the researchers will conduct a regional workforce needs assessment on the energy sector within Arkansas and its neighboring regions. This will include hosting a series of workshops, webinars, and site visits to get the feedback needed to understand the workforce skill needs for cyber-informed engineering. The needs assessment will ensure that students have knowledge and skills to address real-world challenges and are prepared for high-demand jobs.

Additionally, the funding will support the establishment of an innovation startup program in the Emerging Threat Information Sharing and Analysis Center dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship in energy cybersecurity, progressing ideas from concept to commercialized solutions.

鈥淎s the Forge Institute spearheads the creation of a national innovation center for grid-connected security and resiliency, we are not just incubating early-stage ideas; we are nurturing the seeds of national security and resilience,鈥� said Lee Watson, chairman and CEO of Forge Institute. 鈥淭his center, rooted in the heart of Arkansas, will be a beacon of American innovation and determination, setting a pioneering path for the rest of the country to follow. Together, we are forging a safer, more resilient future for our nation.”

The innovation program will include a mentorship program, a 12-to-14-week pre-accelerator program to help formalize new entrepreneurial ventures, and a series of innovation programs for students, faculty, community, and industry members. Researchers will work with students so they can receive academic credit for participating in the pre-accelerator program.

“We are on the cusp of a national revolution in cybersecurity and grid resilience, right here in Arkansas,鈥� Watson said. 鈥淭he collaboration between the Forge Institute, 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, and the Consortium for Cyber Innovation, established in 2019, signifies a monumental leap towards safeguarding our nation’s energy infrastructure. It鈥檚 a testament to what can be achieved on a national scale when local entities unite with a common purpose. I am profoundly grateful to Chancellor Drale, Dr. Huff, Dr. Farnell, and Dr. Wangila and the entire 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, University of Arkansas, and 糖心Vlog传媒PB teams for their purposeful collaborations and Sen. John Boozman for his steadfast support, which has been instrumental in this endeavor.鈥�

Additionally, the award will fund research initiatives leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), deep reinforcement learning techniques to identify optimal protection strategies against cyber threats. This research will be used to enhance the Emerging Threat Information Sharing and Analysis Center鈥檚 automated threat analysis process by refining its attack simulation environment. Bastazo, a university startup company specializing in cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions with ties to 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock and the University of Arkansas, is leading the technical development for this project and will use deep reinforcement learning to model realistic interactions between threat actors and defenders.

鈥淚n deep reinforcement learning, a machine learning model learns through trial and error without requiring a set of allowed actions to be predetermined,鈥� said Dr. Kylie McClanahan, chief technical officer of Bastazo. 鈥淭hrough this, we hope to identify new strategies to mitigate vulnerabilities and prevent exploitation and, ultimately, to improve cybersecurity in the electric sector.鈥�

Furthermore, innovative virtual reality (VR) training environments will be created to provide immersive experiences simulating the effects of cyber-attacks on critical infrastructure such as the power grid. Researchers at the University of Arkansas will  augment the cybersecurity testbed at the National Center for Reliable Electric Power Transmission (NCREPT) test facility to allow remote access and experimentation for training and research purposes.

鈥淲e are very excited to partner with this team to help advance workforce development, expand NCREPT鈥檚 cyber-testbed capabilities, and further develop collaborations in the area of cybersecurity to secure our nation鈥檚 critical infrastructure,鈥� said Dr. Chris Farnell, assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer science and associate director NCREPT at the University of Arkansas.

NCREPT officials will also develop training modules to assist researchers and students in familiarizing themselves with ICS and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition cybersecurity vulnerabilities and mitigation. Collaborating partners will be able to use the ICS simulation environments for cyber-attack exercises and cybersecurity training.

“I am very excited about how this investment will help strengthen the cybersecurity ecosystem here in Arkansas,鈥� said Dr. Brian Berry, vice provost of research and dean of the Graduate School at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. 鈥淢ost importantly, it will help train the next generation of cybersecurity experts.”

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Backed by the BIRD Foundation, Bastazo, a startup with strong ties to 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock and the University of Arkansas, will partner with Israeli-based Salvador Technologies on the project, which is known as Extracted Configuration Security (XCS). The initiative will address escalating concerns posed by sophisticated external threats, including ransomware.

鈥淥ur collaboration with Salvador Technologies represents a union of revolutionary cybersecurity concepts,鈥� said Philip Huff, assistant professor of cybersecurity at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock and co-founder of Bastazo. 鈥淟everaging large language models to automate decisions in cybersecurity operations is not just a leap for us, but a giant step for the entire Operational Technology (OT) security sector.鈥�

Bastazo, a Greek word meaning to carry the burden, was founded in 2020 by four professors in the University of Arkansas System based on licensed technology initially developed in the U.S. Department of Energy鈥檚 Cybersecurity Center entitled Secure, Evolvable Energy Delivery Systems. Company founders include Huff and Drs. Alan Mantooth, Jia Di, and Qinghua Li from the University of Arkansas. The startup specializes in cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions and uses artificial intelligence and advanced analytics to support cybersecurity operations in critical infrastructures across many industries.

The collaboration with Salvador Technologies provides an opportunity to reinforce security and innovation. Founded by Alex Yevtushenko and Oleg Vusiker, Salvador Technologies鈥� expertise is based on more than 10 years of experience in the National Cyber Unit and Intelligence corps of the IDF. The company is renowned for its rapid cyber-attack recovery solution for ICS&OT systems. Their patented technology provides three layers of defense ensuring the operational continuity of workstations and servers in critical infrastructures and manufacturing systems.

鈥淥ur partnership with Bastazo enables a holistic approach to cybersecurity, empowering the ICS industry with preemptive threat detection and enhancing its resilience with fast recovery,鈥� said Alex Yevtushenko, CEO of Salvador Technologies.

The grant is also providing valuable job opportunities for students and graduates in Arkansas鈥檚 growing cybersecurity industry. So far, Bastazo has hired seven students and alumni to work on this project. From 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, this includes alumnus Andrew Baumberger and doctoral students Spencer Massengale and Matt Kennett, who are all excited for the valuable experience they are gaining.

鈥淚 view the Bastazo project as a valuable opportunity to engage with and learn from leading cybersecurity professionals in both the U.S. and Israel,鈥� said Massengale, an information science doctoral student from Russellville. 鈥淭he project aims to enhance organizational security, and I’m excited to contribute. My work will mostly entail looking at automating the extraction of adversarial attributes through artificial intelligence. My aspiration is for this project to become a stepping stone to a full-time role at Bastazo. Collaborating with our team of seasoned engineers and researchers offers an unparalleled opportunity for growth.鈥�

The grant is one of four projects being funded by the BIRD Cyber Program, a joint initiative to enhance the cyber resilience of vulnerable critical infrastructure in the United States and Israel. The program is managed by the BIRD Foundation and is a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), the Israel National Cyber Directorate (INCD), and the Israel-U.S. Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation.

“We are proud to announce the first grants for this important program,鈥� said Jaron Lotan, executive director of the BIRD Foundation. 鈥淭he selected projects are a result of a comprehensive selection process to answer the cybersecurity needs of both countries. The BIRD Cyber program advances the U.S.-Israeli partnership through cyber innovation and collaboration, to build a more secure and resilient infrastructure. We welcome the opportunity to cooperate with DHS and INCD, and to support the development of innovative technologies that enhance safety for both countries and look forward to supporting this sector for many years to come.”

Bastazo plans to have the product ready for commercialization in 18 months. Both companies are targeting a fast-growing global Operational Technology (OT) security market .

鈥淭his product will help companies to see weaknesses in their industrial control systems that allow ransomware to get into their critical networks,鈥� Huff said. 鈥淭hey will be able to see it before it happens, and they will be able to respond and recover quicker if a cybersecurity breach does happen. This will offer all-around protection. The goal is to increase the innovation space in Arkansas in cybersecurity. If we are successful, this endeavor could create several hundred high tech jobs over the next 10 years in critical technology fields such as cybersecurity and artificial intelligence.鈥�

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糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock will work with the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and the University of Arkansas to establish a Quantum Information Science and Engineering program. The effort is funded by a five-year, $5 million grant from the National Science Foundation.

糖心Vlog传媒PB is one of three historically Black colleges and universities awarded the 2022 NSF Expanding Capacity in Quantum Information Science and Engineering program grant, which will advance quantum information in a new generation of computers, detectors, and new materials of the future. Once established, QuAPB will be the first-of-its-kind quantum center in this region of the United States – an integrated research and education program in quantum materials and devices for integrated quantum photonics.

糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock will receive $750,000 of the grant. Dr. Gregory Guisbiers, assistant professor of physics, and Dr. Tansel Karabacak, professor of physics and interim director of the School of Physical Sciences, will lead efforts at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock to synthesize quantum dots that will be used in the development of photonic devices. They will use two novel techniques named Pulsed Laser Ablation in Liquids (PLAL) and Hot Water Treatment (HWT) to design free and attached quantum dots, respectively.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 a great time to be involved in quantum research,鈥� Guisbiers said. 鈥溙切腣log传媒 Little Rock will mainly be responsible for creating quantum materials, 糖心Vlog传媒PB will be responsible for characterizing quantum materials, and U of A will be integrating those quantum materials into devices. Being involved in this grant from the National Science Foundation is a big honor, and I鈥檓 pleased to be part of it.鈥�

As the lead institution on the grant, 糖心Vlog传媒PB will receive $3.5 million. The funding will enable 糖心Vlog传媒PB to provide quantum laboratory and course content for bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degree students. This grant also supports QISE faculty at 糖心Vlog传媒PB, reorients several nanomaterials experts at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock and 糖心Vlog传媒PB toward quantum applications, and creates a hands-on quantum laboratory course for BS/MS students. In addition, education and outreach activities will fuel the QISE student pipelines and promote engagement with K-12 schools about quantum careers.

Researchers at U of A, which will also receive $750,000 from the grant, will fabricate integrated quantum photonic devices at U of A. They will gather component materials from collaborators throughout QuAPB and leverage the heterogeneous integration capabilities of the MonArk NSF Quantum Foundry to produce complete devices for characterization at 糖心Vlog传媒PB. According to Guisbiers, the materials will be used in quantum computing, quantum sensing, and imaging in medicine.

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Social work is one of the university鈥檚 most popular majors, currently ranking fifth in most undergraduate students at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. The School of Social Work is the home to approximately 425 students and 18 full-time faculty and staff. The school has been growing steadily over the years, up from 365 students five years ago.

Its programs include the Bachelor of Social Work and Master of Social Work degrees with both online and on-campus options, a graduate certificate in gerontology, and minors in gerontology, human services, and social work.

Danforth and Jones became the school鈥檚 co-directors on July 1, 2022, upon the retirement of Dr. Stephen Kapp. After nine months on the job, they are dedicated to expanding the School of Social Work to become the top social work higher education destination in the state!

How did you both come to work at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock?

Danforth 鈥� I was a master鈥檚 student in the Social Work department at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, and I had such a good experience. It鈥檚 actually the first time at a university that a professor had informed me there was something beyond the MSW. I ended up applying to a Ph.D. program at Mizzou (University of Missouri) and had my professors here write recommendation letters for me.

When I was in the market for an academic position, I was interviewing all over the country and I loved the balance that 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock strikes with teaching, research, and service. No other university that I interviewed with had the community-engaged metropolitan university designation, or was as involved in the community as 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock was. It was nice to land somewhere where that was a priority. I started at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock in 2017.

Jones 鈥� My wife and I moved here from Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1997 because of her job as a psychologist at 糖心Vlog传媒MS. I then started here as an adjunct instructor and started full time as an assistant professor in 1999, and I鈥檝e been ever since.

When did you know that you wanted to be social workers?

Danforth 鈥� I realized some time in high school. That鈥檚 when I realized the important role that social workers play both in a macro and micro sense. Our responsibility as social workers is to not only provide mental health and case management services to clients, but also to  advocate for equity and fairness and large-scale change that allows everyone to meet their full potential. I went to U of A, and they had an orientation on the major and I was sold.

Jones 鈥� It was in junior college in Illinois when I took my first psychology class. That was my favorite subject, and I did the first two years in a community college outside of LaSalle, Illinois. It was during the last semester of junior college that I realized social work is what I wanted to do.

What are your major fields of research?

Danforth 鈥� Mine has been education equity, or using qualitative methodology to tease out the experiences of populations that have been marginalized or historically silenced. Because of this role Kim and I have taken over, I am also interested in the preparedness of future social workers and whether we are doing a decent job of educating them for the field.

Jones 鈥� My main focus is clinical social work practice. I am chair of the advanced practice concentration 鈥� clinical track. I also research case-based teaching in the social work curriculum and issues related to father absence.

What has it been like becoming co-directors of the School of Social Work?

Danforth 鈥� You can probably tell by our interests and backgrounds that we balance each other pretty well. We make a pretty good team. It鈥檚 especially helpful to us since we are so large of a school. It鈥檚 nice to have a teammate to tag team big stuff

For me, it鈥檚 been such a great learning experience. It鈥檚 really been beneficial for someone who just got tenure. It was a really big shift moving from faculty to administration. It鈥檚 been really challenging, but really eye opening as it relates to what it takes to keep a department running. You are managing the budget, student enrollment, and strategic planning. You are also learning to be in a leadership position for your colleagues and trying to help them reach their full potential as faculty. It鈥檚 also been nice to meet other chairs of departments and those in administration positions across campus.

Jones 鈥� I had been the MSW program coordinator for 16 years, so I had that administrative experience. I also served as the interim co-director in 2017 with Shannon Collier-Tenison, so I鈥檓 in this role for the second time.

What are your plans now that you are co-directors? What鈥檚 new and up and coming in the School of Social Work?

Jones 鈥� Enrollment is up, so we are managing the growth of the school and getting new resources to accommodate that growth. We are continuing to expand our online offerings throughout the state. We are the only BSW program with an online option in the state of Arkansas. We have strong concentrations in the MSW program 鈥� advanced direct practice clinical work or management and community practice. We are one of the only programs that offer both those concentrations in the state. We are positioning ourselves to be a leader in social work education in the state of Arkansas.

Danforth 鈥� Because Kim and I are in a position to really take stock of the number of students and faculty, we have been able to help faculty really understand their specific roles in the school, which feels like a luxury now. Now everyone is focused on their particular position and what they can do for the school and for students. Because there are two of us, we have the bandwidth to work on more than just the day-to-day running of the program. It鈥檚 a very well-oiled machine now.

With it being Social Work Month, what would you say to students who want to become social workers?

Jones 鈥� It鈥檚 a very fulfilling profession in terms of having a meaningful career and being able to help others. There is also the issue of job growth. It鈥檚 about 13 percent right now, so it looks good for the future. There is a tremendous amount of mental health issues in America. Social workers can now operate independently, which they couldn鈥檛 until recently. They currently provide 75 percent of the mental health needs in the United States.

Cooler opportunities, job growth, job satisfaction, and increased salaries 鈥� all of this goes along with high demand for social workers. The versatility of the social work degree allows people to work in school settings, hospitals, mental health fields, and micro and macro sectors. I want to emphasize the diversity of positions that are out there for social workers.

Danforth 鈥� A lot of social workers end up in clinical positions, which is amazing. My advice would be to continue to pay attention to the macro issues going on in the work and state and federal policies that are coming out. All of those things will affect individual clients and their ability to meet their potential.

Can you describe the variety of careers that people can have as social workers, especially the ones that aren鈥檛 commonly known?

Danforth 鈥� There is a mental health sector. Within that, there is direct clinical practice. There is school-based social work, residential and outpatient treatment. You can work in hospital settings and be a hospital social worker and do therapeutic support work, making sure people get the resources they need. You can work in drug rehabilitation, the aging adult arena or geriatrics where you help with hospice care and end of life planning. You can also do policy analysis, community organizing, legislative research and advocacy. We have graduates who have formed their own nonprofits and do a lot of grant writing. It鈥檚 so broad. You can do so much with this degree.

Is there anything else you鈥檇 like to add?

Danforth 鈥� The degree of social work is a very gratifying, stable, and impactful degree to have. You will always have job security. Individuals and communities will always need assistance and intervention. The world is a complicated place. As much as we would love to work ourselves out of jobs, the demand for social workers is always going to grow. You will also have the ability for professional licensure, and there is always an opportunity to move from one area to another because social work is so broad.

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The School of Business Student Ambassador Program is led by Dr. Robert Mitchell, director of the School of Business, and Shannon Gwinn, director of career services. The student ambassadors are nominated by faculty members and selected by the School of Business leadership team.

鈥淭he student ambassadors in the School of Business play a very important role within the business community,鈥� Mitchell said. Throughout the academic year, our ambassadors have access to network with business and community representatives through special events. This interaction benefits our stakeholders by giving them an opportunity to interact with our students and in some cases, employ them.鈥�

The 2022-23 business student ambassadors include Sean Cooper, Kenya Daniels, Bryan Hernandez, Amber Keomany, Aniruddha Koppar, Nandita Monika, Guillermo Soto, and Lamar Townsend.

鈥淚 really enjoy being a student business ambassador,鈥� said Kenya Daniels, a senior financial services major from McAlmont. 鈥淏eing a student ambassador allows me to speak for the students because of the opportunity to further get to know and work with our faculty. It is extremely rewarding to be one.鈥�

The ambassadors serve an integral role by representing the School of Business during important events, supporting their fellow business students, and engaging with the business industry to let them know about the academic, research, and industry partnership opportunities in the School of Business.

鈥淎mbassadors are encouraged to assist with the Alumni Luncheon and Golf Tournament 鈥� a great opportunity for them to network with members of the business community,鈥� Gwinn said. 鈥淭hey also attend School of Business Advisory Board meetings and are given opportunities to engage with those businesses as well. Special meetings for ambassadors only are held throughout the academic year to introduce them to different industries within their major.鈥�

Bryan Hernandez, a junior marketing major from Clinton, said he enjoys serving as a student ambassador to showcase the powerful opportunities 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock provides for its students as well as show the tremendous potential to create economic growth in Little Rock by the people who study, work, and live here.

鈥淭he nomination from a faculty member alone to be an ambassador was a great honor for me,鈥� Hernandez said. 鈥淚t really helped affirm that my efforts to transition into college from the military was working. The more I learned about the program, the more I began to understand what a unique opportunity the program could be. I enjoy being able to network with peers here on campus as well as leaders in the local Little Rock business environment. To be able to be a representative for the university’s efforts to spur economic development in Little Rock is an immense privilege.鈥�

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