NW Missouri Times

Northwest Missouri State University has been acknowledged as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense. The recognition was accepted by Dr. Joni Adkins, the director at Northwest, and Dr. Jerry Qin, an associate professor in the School, during the Center of Academic Excellence (CAE) In Cybersecurity Community Symposium held in April in Charleston, South Carolina.

Dr. Adkins expressed her honor in receiving the designation alongside Dr. Qin, noting that it "required campus commitment to good cybersecurity practices, several professional development opportunities provided to students and faculty and outreach efforts." Over 400 high school students have participated in cybersecurity awareness events hosted by the School of Computer Science and Information Systems over the past two years.

The university's cybersecurity program is designed to provide students with hands-on experience through various projects that prepare them for future roles in protecting companies from cyber threats. Students benefit from a comprehensive curriculum and access to federal scholarships, networking opportunities within the cybersecurity community, and internships. Faculty members also gain access to professional development resources.

Institutions recognized as Centers of Academic Excellence meet strict criteria set by the National Security Agency (NSA), aiming to reduce threats to national infrastructure by promoting higher education and research in cyber defense. This initiative supports creating a pipeline of qualified cybersecurity professionals.

All accredited institutions across different educational levels in the United States can apply for this designation every five years.