During the past school year, several UMBC students traveled to Nashville, Tennessee to partake in the first-ever Women in Cybersecurity Conference.

Thanks to our wonderful donors, Emily Scheerer ’14, computer science; Christina Malliakos ’14, computer science; Emily McMurray ’14, computer science; and Ruth Coradin ’16, computer science and applied linguistics, were able to receive supplementary funding for their trip out west. The money was raised through a crowd-funded project undertaken by the Center for Women in Technology (CWIT). When the need for additional funding arose, CWIT reached out to its alumni and friends and rallied community support to ensure that the students would be able to attend the conference.

At workshops on subjects such as cryptography and technical industry, the Retrievers were able to network both themselves and their skills to others in the computer science industry. “I think it is great to be in a place where everyone has the same types of goals as you. The focus of the conference was so specific, it was great to know that other students are going through the same experiences as me, and the professionals have made it through the journey that I am on my professional career,” said Malliakos about her experience at the Women in Cybersecurity Conference. Guests included Emily Shen of the MIT Lincoln Lab and the director of NSA’s training division.

Although the conference was only two days, the experience has had a lasting impact on Scheerer, Malliakos, and Coradin. “I am truly thankful for the opportunity to be a part of such a rewarding experience. I have stayed in touch with both mentors and peers that I met at the conference,” says Coradin.

Thanks again to all of our donors involved in this endeavor!

Learn more about our other student projects here!

On June 24, UMBC signed a memorandum of understanding with Kyushu University to promote academic and research cooperation between the two universities.The partnership will allow faculty and student exchanges and joint research projects, focusing on cybersecurity initially.

Provost Phillip Rous commented on the partnership, saying, “The academic agreement signed between UMBC and KU articulates our universities’ shared vision and intention to collaborate broadly in both research and education.”

Click here to read a full description of the agreement and here to read an article about the partnership in the Baltimore Business Journal.

UMBC Cybersecurity Virtual Info Session – June 3

Join us online on June 3 at 12 p.m. to learn about Cybersecurity Graduate Programs offered at the UMBC campus. RSVP Here. 

UMBC Biotechnology Info Session *In-Person – June 3

Meet us on June 3 at 12 p.m. to learn about Biotechnology Graduate Programs offered at the UMBC campus. This event is in-person in Sherman Hall East, Room 464. RSVP here.

UMBC Health Information Technology Virtual Info Session – June 5

Attend a virtual info session on June 5 at 12 p.m. to learn more about the Health Information Technology Master’s Program, a new program offered beginning fall 2014. RSVP Here.

UMBC-Shady Grove Professional Programs Information Sessions – June 10 

Visit the UMBC-Shady Grove campus on Tuesday, June 10 at 6 p.m. to learn about professional graduate programs offered in Rockville. Attend to learn more about Cybersecurity, Biotechnology, or Geographic Information Systems programs. RSVP Here.

Editor’s Note: This information is posted on behalf of UMBC’s Division of Professional Studies, which offers a broad array of professionally focused master’s degrees and graduate certificates that help prepare professionals for today’s most in-demand careers.

On April 23, attend the Professional Graduate Program Open House at UMBC’s South Campus (bwtech@UMBC South), to learn about graduate programs in Biotechnology, Cybersecurity, Health Information Technology, Engineering Management and Systems Engineering.

During the session, there will be an opportunity to participate in discussions with program directors, staff and alumni, and meet Career Services representatives to learn about careers, job searching resources available and internships. Additionally, the Open House will provide an opportunity to learn about financing education, as well as the educational benefits available to veterans.

RSVP now for the Open House scheduled for Wednesday, April 23, 2014 from 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM.

Editor’s Note: We’re excited to share this announcement from UMBC’s Division of Professional Studies regarding upcoming virtual information sessions for graduate programs at The Universities at Shady Grove.

UMBC’s Professional Graduate Programs are designed to prepare working professionals to excel as leaders in some of today’s most in-demand fields. Participate in upcoming virtual information sessions to learn about Professional Graduate Programs in Geographic Information Systems, Cybersecurity and Biotechnology offered at UMBC at The Universities at Shady Grove in Rockville, MD.

GIS Virtual Info Session
Tuesday, April 1, 2014 from 12 – 1 PM.

Learn how UMBC-Shady Grove’s GIS Master’s and Graduate Certificate programs help develop technical GIS leaders with the fundamental understanding of geography and advanced knowledge of the technologies involved in the development of advanced Geographic Information Systems. RSVP online at http://bit.ly/18GUZ1l

Cybersecurity Virtual Info Session
Wednesday, April 2, 2014 from 6:30  – 7:30 PM.

Join us to learn how Cybersecurity Master’s and Graduate Certificate programs help prepare qualified cyber professionals, ready for management and leadership opportunities within finance, healthcare, government, telecommunications, retail, academia, technology and more. RSVP online at http://bit.ly/1bDisUy

Biotechnology Virtual Info Session
Thursday, April 3, 2014 from 12 – 1 PM.

Biotechnology Master’s and Graduate Certificate programs combine life science and business courses, and are designed for individuals interested in pursuing management opportunities in a variety of sectors, including agricultural feedstock and chemicals, drugs and pharmaceuticals, medical devices and research and laboratories. RSVP online at http://bit.ly/1c1xMgl

CSEE’s Dr. Rick Forno, Cybersecurity GPD and Assistant Director of the UMBC Center for Cybersecurity, was a guest on WEAA’s ‘The Marc Steiner Show’ where he joined Dr. Lisa Yeo of Loyola University in discussing cybersecurity issues and best practices in light of recent high-profile data breaches such as those at the University of Maryland, Target, and Indiana University.

Listen to the segment here.

Maryland Senate President Mike Miller and House Speaker Michael Busch held a press conference today to announce a package of bills relating to economic development initiatives. The proposed legislation would leverage public and private sector resources for higher education research endowments; create a seed fund to invest in cybersecurity and privacy companies; and strengthen ties between key state, federal and higher education institutions and neighboring communities by creating Reduced Tax Zones (called RISE zones).

President Hrabowski spoke at the press conference (photo at right), emphasizing the importance of investment in endowed professorships and the RISE economic development zones to increase tech transfer. He joined USM Chancellor Brit Kirwan and representatives of the University of Maryland, College Park, and Johns Hopkins University in endorsing the proposed legislation.

UMBC Vice President for Research Karl Steiner and bwtech@UMBC Executive Director Ellen Hemmerly also attended the event.

State and national voices are increasingly articulating the need for expanded training and investment in cybersecurity. This week’s U.S. News includes cybersecurity in a story about hot career fields, noting that UMBC cybersecurity programs offer students essential hands-on experience.

ABC2 News reported on the press conference and Dr. Hrabowski’s remarks. Public Policy Professor and Chair Donald Norris was also interviewed about the event in The Baltimore Sun.

Earlier this week, a security research company released a report providing technical documentation and near-certain proof that China is engaging in cyber-espionage activities against the US.  While that’s not exactly a new discovery, it provided a much deeper degree of public information used in presenting its findings.

On Public Radio International’s program, The World UMBC’s Rick Forno discussed the report’s implications.

Forno says he was on the program to discuss American cybersecurity readiness in light of the heightened media interest in cybersecurity following the report’s release.

The fact that the networks and our critical infrastructure systems are still vulnerable after years of analysis and public warnings about their security posture said Forno, “is still very disturbing.”

“Those systems that we view as critical national infrastructures [such as those controlling power and water distribution] he said, “should be separated from the public internet.” But he adds, “When rubber meets the road [in terms of American cybersecurity] I don’t see a lot of improvements.”

The U.S.,” he said, “has the most vulnerable cybersecurity infrastructure on the planet.”

Listen to the interview 

The Washington Post published an article by Steven Overly on June 11 detailing the recent partnership between the University of Maryland, College Park and the aerospace and defense technology corporation Northrop Grumman. The article noted the recent trend of corporations engaging more directly with universities via donations and partnerships, and cited specifically UMBC’s own collaboration with Northrop Grumman and other firms in the development of both a master’s program and an incubator program in cybersecurity.

Read Overly’s original article for Washington Post here.