California State University, Sacramento proposes to add four new cohorts of undergraduate and graduate students to their existing CyberCorps(R) Scholarship for Service (SFS) program in cybersecurity. Sacramento State has developed a solid infrastructure for cybersecurity education, including the establishment of both a strong cybersecurity component to the Computer Science program and a Center for Information Assurance and Security (CIAS). The previous NSF funding has helped Sacramento State to establish a strong SFS program and contributed significantly to sustainability of the cybersecurity curriculum. All students who graduated through May 2014 have been placed in qualified government positions. The National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security designated Sacramento State's CIAS a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education and Cyber Defense. Participating faculty will attend technical workshops and conferences in cybersecurity, which will allow to disseminate broadly the results of their scholarly activities and maintain currency in this rapidly changing field. In return, faculty will further enhance the depth and scope of research being conducted in cybersecurity.
The SFS project broadens its impact by mentoring community colleges in northern California in their efforts to establish or enhance cybersecurity programs. The project will assist the colleges in developing pathways that reach the region's high schools up to the graduate program in cybersecurity at Sacramento State. This will significantly enhance cybersecurity workforce development in northern California. The project is expected to increase participation of individuals from underrepresented groups in cybersecurity. It has built-in flexibility in the selection process to enhance the acceptance rate of minorities and female candidates into the program. The project includes an assessment and evaluation plan coordinated by an independent evaluator to ensure that the project achieves its objectives. The project's results will be disseminated through conference and professional presentations.
