Tennessee State University's Targeted Infusion Project entitled - Vertical Integration of Concepts, Laboratory Experiences and Research Training in Cyber Security across the Undergraduate Electrical and Computer Engineering and Computer Science Curriculum - is a joint initiative between the Departments of Computer Science (CS) and Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE). The project fosters interdisciplinary research and education in cyber security. The project vertically integrates concepts, laboratory experiences and research training in cyber security across the undergraduate CS and ECE programs, thus enhancing the CS and ECE curricula and increasing research opportunities for undergraduate students. Vertical integration refers to a series of laboratory exercises in a given topical area that starts as well-structured experiments at the lower levels and proceeds as increasingly complex open-ended design projects at upper levels of the curriculum.
The objectives of the project are to 1) offer vertically integrated curricular material in coursework and research training opportunities to cyber security scholars; 2) strengthen the CS and ECE programs by the infusion of vertically integrated multi-year curricular material; and 3) strengthen the university's ongoing undergraduate and outreach programs in science, technology, mathematics and engineering by the availability of education, research and facilities targeted to cyber security.
Considering the rapid market growth of cyber security and a critical shortage of qualified cyber security engineers, the focus of this project is a significant step in training future system designers with a strong appreciation for the complexity, implementation and performance evaluation of cyber security technologies. This project addresses the under-representation of African Americans in the cyber security workforce and in competitive cyber security graduate programs.
