There are now 200 students in the bachelor’s and master’s cybersecurity programs started in 2019. Andrew Kalafut is an associate professor in the School of Computing and says earning national validation from the NSA is an important external stamp of approval.
“That validation involves the NSA looking at our faculty, our student activities and our curriculum for the program and validating that they feel we’re covering the right materials with the right quality.”
He is also the director of the new Institute for Cybersecurity Education and Research, or ICER, that focuses on developing programs with K-12 educators, and industry outreach.
“So we can get cybersecurity professionals in front of our students to build these relationships for mutual benefit.”
Undergraduate Jacob Neiheisel says he came into the program as a “lowly freshman” during the pandemic and watched the program grow with an approach he thinks is smart.
“The way that Grand Valley has approached getting us prepared has been, ‘Let’s learn how to learn these new things,’ not necessarily ‘let’s hash out this one software or one protocol,’ and that’s what makes it exciting for me.”
Kalafut says the next stage is all about collaboration and encourages K/12 educators and businesses that need cybersecurity help to reach out.
“See what we offer and what we can do and get in contact.”
