The U.S. Army recently selected UMBC Training Centers as the sole recipient of an award to develop a novel cybersecurity curriculum for soldiers. The 70-week-long program will train soldiers for a new military role, as cyberspace capabilities developer technicians. 

Several companies and institutions were invited to apply for the award, but UMBC was the only recipient selected, explains Kent Malwitz, president of UMBC Training Centers. This relatively rare move by the Army affirms the quality of UMBC Training Centers’ proposal and existing programs. 

This new project builds on UMBC Training Centers’ long history of providing world-class technical training to the military and intelligence community. It follows recent work in delivering similar programs to support cybersecurity operations at Fort Meade in Maryland, and Fort Gordon in Georgia. 

Expanding programs to meet demand for cyber experts

The new course of study will expand upon existing programs that UMBC Training Centers has  presented to soldiers in shorter time frames. In 2013, the Training Centers piloted an intensive 11-week program, says Homer Minnick, director of the Department of Defense programs at UMBC Training Centers. In order to excel in that course, Minnick explains, students need to have a deep understanding of programming languages. There was interest in longer courses that could give students more hands-on lab experience with programming and fulfill the Army’s skill requirements.

Two years later, UMBC Training Centers launched the Tool Developer Qualification Course (TDQC), a 32-week version of the prior pilot program. In addition to a full 22 weeks of classroom instruction, the expanded program provides 10 weeks of project work, including a robust capstone component. 

The 32-week long program has produced 90 graduates, and there are currently 20 students enrolled in the seventh cohort from the Army and Marine Corps. Minnick notes that students have the opportunity to develop a cybersecurity foundation and also to apply the skills they learn in the classroom to situations they may encounter in the world. The new 70-week program will yield graduates with even more highly advanced skills and extensive experience. 

Serving active-duty military and beyond

An increased demand for skilled cybersecurity professionals within the military means that training opportunities for service members in these areas are more important than ever, says Minnick. He explains, “The Army has recognized the need for this program, and the importance of making it an institutional program.” 

UMBC Training Centers is a not-for-profit owned by UMBC that offers professional and technical training in areas such as data science, cybersecurity, cloud computing, software development, project management and leadership and innovation. Training Centers has long served the United States military, including active duty and transitioning soldiers, veterans, and their family members seeking to begin or advance their careers in technology. 

In addition to scaling the 32-week program up to 70 weeks, Minnick looks forward to modifying existing intensive programs to meet the changing needs of the Army and to support the learning of enlisted soldiers and others.

Training Centers’ Certified Cyber Analyst Operator program was initially developed to help the military build its cybersecurity capabilities, and is now being offered to soldiers who are preparing to exit the military and begin the next phase of their careers, as well as to civilians changing careers. 

Coming soon this year, UMBC Training Centers will launch a certificate in software development to provide people careers or changing careers with “an accelerated way to enter the field of software development,” says Malwitz. In addition to working with enlisted soldiers, he looks forward to helping retired military personnel and others access “the opportunity to begin a career in this high demand, financially lucrative field.”

Banner image: The UMBC Training Centers. Photo courtesy of UMBC Training Centers.

Cybersecurity is one of the fastest growing industries in the United States and a recent Business-Higher Education Forum report calls Maryland the “epicenter of national cybersecurity.” The report, Building a Diverse Cybersecurity Talent Ecosystem to Address National Security Needs, found that University System of Maryland (USM) efforts to increase the number of students who earn degrees in cyber-related fields has made progress in meeting the needs of the region. It also emphasized that more growth is needed, through programs like those UMBC offers, to meet increasing industry demand for cyber professionals.

In a USM press release, Chancellor Robert L. Caret says, “The University System of Maryland has been committed to growing cybersecurity programs at universities across the state to serve the needs of students and employers in this burgeoning field.” USM highlights programs across the five universities “leading the way” in cybersecurity, including UMBC’s Cyber Scholars program, launched with support from the Northrop Grumman Foundation, and a new cyber apprenticeship program, created through a partnership between UMBC Training Centers, the Maryland Department of Labor, and Gov. Larry Hogan.

In its coverage of the report, The Daily Record focuses on two core findings: the need for students to gain work experience and demand for a diverse cybersecurity workforce. It highlights the work of USM institutions to grow “undergraduate pathways into cybersecurity that attract students with diverse backgrounds and interests, engage them in meaningful learning experiences that reflect the cutting edge of the field and encourage them to stay in the region to build their careers.”

The highlights a UMBC program to explain this idea, noting, “UMBC’s Meyerhoff Scholars program is viewed as a national model for increasing diversity in STEM fields, and the university drew on lessons learned from that model when it launched the Cyber Scholars program in 2013.” As illustration, the report profiles Lauren Mazzoli ’15, computer science and mathematics, M.S. ’17, computer science, a systems engineer in the Future Technical Leaders Program at Northrop Grumman. It showcases her experience as one of UMBC’s first Cyber Scholars and the value she found in UMBC’s Center for Women in Technology and an internship at the Department of Defense.

Graduates from UMBC computing programs continue to have an impact through work with government agencies and top companies in cybersecurity fields. From the Class of 2018, Cyber Scholar Priyanka Ranade ‘18, information systems, is now a cyber software engineer at Northrop Grumman and T-SITE Scholar Bryan Vanek ‘18, computer science is participating in the Computer Network Operations Development Program at the Department of Defense.

Banner image: Mobile technology. Photo by WOCinTechChat, CC BY 2.0.

New science faculty come to UMBC as experts in their fields, often with a decade of research experience. What may be less familiar is how to manage a large laboratory, from the ground up. How do you balance time spent teaching, researching, and mentoring students? Should you buy that useful but expensive piece of equipment? If, through your research, you discover something that could be commercially viable, how do you get it to market?

UMBC’s College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences (CNMS) is helping faculty learn how to answer these questions through a new five-day Entrepreneurial Skills Training (EST) program at the UMBC Training Centers. This winter, a pilot of the program, developed by Gib Mason ‘95, economics, and executive director of the Center for Leadership and Innovation at the UMBC Training Centers, taught 16 faculty members in biology, chemistry, physics, math, and marine biotech essential skills to grow their labs. Participants learned about leadership styles, maintaining work-life balance, and project management approaches, as well as entrepreneurial skills like marketing, negotiating, and intellectual property development.

“When a newly-hired assistant professor arrives on campus, we provide them with start-up funds, office and laboratory space, classes to teach, committee assignments, and the list goes on. Similar to an entrepreneur, they take upon themselves the full responsibility (including the liabilities) of starting a research enterprise,” says CNMS Dean Bill LaCourse. “This Entrepreneurial Skills Training program provides them with the tools they need to set up and operate a productive research program while living a more balanced life.”

“The things that we’ve been taught here, you aren’t taught in a traditional scientific career pathway,” said Fernando Vonhoff, assistant professor of biological sciences, at the end of the week-long training. He plans to apply philosophies he learned in the program, such as Agile Project Management, in his lab.

Like Vonhoff, Erin Green, assistant professor of biological sciences, appreciated expanding her project management skillset, as well as learning about the importance of emotional intelligence and how to develop a short, accessible description of her work. By developing business plan blueprints and elevator pitches, she and her colleagues learned how to more effectively explain to investors and the general public why their research matters—research from neurodevelopment to next-generation energy storage, from quantum computing to epigenetics.

LaCourse sees the cost of providing the Entrepreneurial Skills Training for new faculty as an investment in their career success—a way to help faculty effectively take on the challenges of leading research groups in a world where funding for basic science can be scarce. Ultimately, says Michelle Starz-Gaiano, associate professor of biological sciences, “The training has set us up to better seize opportunities as they arise.”

Mason and LaCourse are already planning future EST opportunities for new faculty, adjusting the program based on feedback from the pilot. One ongoing challenge remains how to make sure the training can help faculty answer the different kinds of management questions that might emerge in different settings, given the diversity of CNMS research. By continuing to refine the program, LaCourse is excited to develop a model that other institutions could emulate and grow further, helping to propel even more science faculty toward successful careers.

Image: Gib Mason instructs an entrepreneurship course at the UMBC Training Centers. Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

Student success has long been a pillar of UMBC’s mission as a public research university, and the Baltimore Sun‘s latest special section on education highlights multiple UMBC programs focused on enhancing student achievement and experiences in and out of the classroom.

APA refresher course helps graduate students advance in their careers

UMBC’s master’s program in industrial/organizational (I/O) psychology offers its students an opportunity to take a refresher course in the American Psychological Association (APA) technical-style writing. Elliot Lasson, professor of the practice and I/O program director, worked with the Center for Academic Success to establish a summer workshop in APA writing after he learned from faculty that a number of students would benefit from extra training in that important skillset.

“The APA-style technical writing is less prose, more succinct, more formulaic, and typically written in third person. There’s a very specific way to report the result of a study,” said Lasson. “We hope they know it, but the reality is that students do not all have a strong background in research coming into our program.”

Lasson explained that its essential for psychology students to develop this skill to have continued success as they advance in their careers.

Providing students with technology skills to address workforce needs

The U.S. government and industry have spoken out about a growing, critical demand for skilled cybersecurity professionals. “Between 200,000 to 300,000 cybersecurity jobs need to be filled,” Gib Mason, chief operating officer of UMBC Training Centers told the Baltimore Sun. “The jobs are there waiting.”

The RX5 program, developed by the UMBC Training Centers and Bowie State University, simultaneously addresses the shortage of talented professionals in the cybersecurity industry and the need to improve career opportunities for military veterans and diverse populations. Participants in the RX5 program complete 18 weeks of cybersecurity training, plus a 12-week fellowship, to prepare for a new cybersecurity career.

The program provides students with “a pathway to getting hired,” Mason explained.

UMBC students work with refugee youth in Baltimore to boost college access

UMBC’s College JUMP program provides near-peer college access mentoring for refugee youth in Baltimore City and Baltimore County. Current UMBC students are paired with refugee high school students through The Shriver Center to provide resources, support, and guidance throughout the college application process.

Christina Smith ’15, global studies, serves as the coordinator for the program as UMBC’s Maryland-DC Campus Compact (MDCCC) AmeriCorps VISTA. She said mentors meet with students on a weekly basis to navigate the college application process.

“They discuss goal setting, career planning, how to adjust to college life, professional email writing skills, how to talk to a professor, interpersonal skills, time management and self advocacy,” said Smith. “The mentor is there to listen and respond, not tell the high school students what to do. The high schooler is the driver of the process.”

Nuam Lun, a high school senior in Baltimore who grew up in Myanmar, is participating in the College JUMP program after learning about it from a friend. At first, she found the college application process to be daunting, but she said the program has helped by providing her with useful resources.

“It was tough at first as a refugee. My English skills have improved. I know how to write better, speak better and how to listen better. I’ve applied to six colleges and for scholarships,” she said.

Read the full education section in The Baltimore Sun. 

Header image: UMBC I/O Psychology Professor Elliot Lasson reviews the basics of APA writing style with students Wilson Merida, Faith Kamei, and Wendy Lopez. From L-R: Wilson Merida, Elliot D. Lasson, Ph.D., Faith Kamei, and Wendy Lopez. Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

Gib Mason, chief operating officer of UMBC Training Centers, published an article on Entrepreneur this week, sharing tips for professional resilience for long-term business survival. Entrepreneur is a monthly magazine about small business management, business opportunities, and entrepreneurship.

In the article, Mason drew on his 35 years of experience across 10 industries to list five steps for professional resilience. He encouraged entrepreneurs to be uncomfortable and transparent, along with embracing ambiguity, putting their team’s needs first, and being open to changing their mindset. “Resilience is never achieved,” Mason shared. “it’s a continuum that starts with developing a resilient self, then working toward developing a resilient organization.”

Click here to read “5 Ways to Build the Resilience You Need to Succeed” in Entrepreneur.

Gib Mason ’95, economics, chief operating officer, vice president of finance and administration and director of the Center for Leadership and Innovation at UMBC Training Centers, wrote an article in the Baltimore Business Journal highlighting his top New Year’s resolutions for leaders.

In the article, Mason shared five resolutions he sees as crucial for leaders: increase transparency, embrace vulnerability, develop opportunities to innovate, engage your team, and create shared experiences. “Through my experience, I’ve tried a number of best business practices to increase team productivity and quality of work,” Mason wrote. “The best lesson I’ve learned is for leaders to focus on your teammates — they are the bread and butter of your organization.”

Click here to read “5 New Year’s Resolutions for Every Leader” in the Baltimore Business Journal.

UMBC Training Centers’ Center for Leadership & Innovation has introduced Lead to Innovate, a program offering noncredit Certificate Programs in Leadership and Innovation. The program is designed to help improve organizations by allowing leaders to effectively change their organization in a positive way. The Certificate in Leadership, a 10-day program, emphasizes individual and organizational leadership, while the Certificate in Innovation, also a 10-day program, focuses on adopting an innovative framework and building an innovative environment.

UMBC employees are eligible for 50% discount, and tuition reimbursement (with the approval of your manager) for this program. All courses for the program are offered at UMBC Training Centers’ state of the art facility in Columbia, MD. Classes for the program will begin April 21. Click here for more information.

Ellen Hemmerly and Kent Malwitz were quoted in the September 7, Baltimore Business Journal in an article written by Jack Lambert, Cyber security attracts attention (and cash) from venture capitalists.

Lambert writes, “Cyber security is big business in Maryland. The state’s proximity to federal agencies in Washington, D.C., as well as nearby government contractors such as Northrop Grumman Corp. and Lockheed Martin Corp., has led to significant government investment in companies that can protect confidential data.”

Lambert goes on to write about his conversation with Hemmerly and Malwitz,

“The commercialization of cyber security products helped encourage investment, said Ellen Hemmerly, executive director of the UMBC bwtech Research and Technology Park. Companies developing new products for mobile devices like tablets and smartphones need to be protected, she said. And venture firms want to get in on the ground floor.

“We are seeing more and more folks trying to create a way to solve those cyber security issues,” Hemmerly said. “[Venture capital] money is agnostic. They are going to look where there is the business opportunities.”

Students and startups are taking advantage of those opportunities. Twenty-two cyber security companies are part of UMBC’S incubator and accelerator program in 2012, whereas only six companies were in the program when it began in March 2011.

Colleges and universities are seeing increased cyber security interest at the undergraduate level as well. UMBC taught 84 cyber security courses in 2011 compared to 70 courses in 2010, said Kent E. Malwitz, president of the UMBC training centers. The University of Maryland’s Cybersecurity Center has seen double the number of computer science and computer engineering majors over the last five to seven years, said Eric Chapman, the program’s deputy director.”

UMBC’s Training Centers launched its Cyber Academy program on September 10th, with the new certification program profiled by Baltimore Business Journal‘s Sarah Gantz in an article published September 7th.

In the subscriber-only article, UMBC Training Centers President Kent Malwitz spoke with Gantz about the idea behind the academy, where already-existing security courses will be tied with more specialized ones to aid in preparing students for entry-level technology jobs at cyber-security companies. The purpose will be to aid students who might not necessarily be as initially tech-oriented as others, and to help them gain more work in this information era, as well as the possible benefit to computer science students, as well.

“f you have a liberal arts background, you have a lot to bring to the table,” said Malwitz. “A lot of the knocks on people who are purely technical is they don’t have the communication skills.”

Gantz wrote that the program will be divided into three and four-week sessions, and will teach skills which can have immediate use as well give “a well-rounded understanding of how to apply technology in cyber security settings,” according to Homer Minnick III of  the university’s Center for Cybersecurity Training, who added that “the folks who really get into this are the ones who want to know how stuff works, [and have] a general thirst for more knowledge of whatever kind.”

Gantz wrote that as of July, there were 400 cyber security students involved in the Center for Cybersecurity Training, and with the addition of the Cyber Academy, the Center will grow to 1,200 by 2013.