GRU launches Cyber Institute

Georgia Regents University is creating the GRU Cyber Institute to develop research, new curriculum, and outreach opportunities in cybersecurity starting this summer.

“We want to be known for cyber,” said Joanne Sexton, Director for GRU Cyber Security Educational Initiatives. “The Augusta area has been growing in this aspect, and we want to be a major player in that.”

GRU has been working toward creating the Cyber Institute for a few years and has already established a cyber curriculum, said Gretchen Caughman, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost . The news that Fort Gordon would become the new headquarters for the U.S. Army Cyber Command only accelerated the process.

“We have made cybersecurity a major strategic priority,” Caughman said. “And the University System of Georgia endorsed that priority and provided new funding that will aid in launching the Cyber Institute. GRU is making a commitment as well.”

The creation of the institute is also a step toward getting recognition as a Department of Homeland Security and National Security Agency National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance/Cyber Defense.

“I congratulate GRU on this proactive step to enhance educational opportunities for its students and contribute to the Augusta community’s growing role in our nation’s cyber defense,” said U.S. Congressman Rick Allen. “I have heard firsthand from GRU faculty about their vision and commitment to building an excellent program that equips its students to excel in this increasingly important field. I look forward to seeing the great things accomplished by the GRU Cyber Institute.”

U.S. Congressman Lynn Westmoreland also endorsed GRU’s efforts.

“Georgia’s support for the men and women protecting our country is well known and respected across the nation, and I am thrilled to see GRU’s new Cyber Institute will contribute to that excellence,” said Rep. Westmoreland, who is Chairman of the NSA and Cybersecurity Subcommittee of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. “Cybersecurity is a highly skilled and critical field in our nation’s defense strategy, and being prepared is imperative to keeping our homeland safe. I look forward to supporting GRU’s success in both student education on cyber defense and security, and their contributions to our national security.”

The Cyber Institute will provide the framework for all things cyber at the university, in cooperation with several of GRU’s colleges, which currently offer cybersecurity courses and degrees. They include cybersecurity programs through the Hull College of Business, a medical informatics program focused on protection of health information through the College of Allied Health Sciences, and courses on cyberterrorism through the Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences.

“We have the opportunity to collaborate across the university, to take advantage of the unique offerings of each of the colleges,” Sexton said. “That’s what the institute is in a unique position to do.”

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