Beginning in fall 2023, the five CyberCorps Scholarships will be awarded to current 萝莉社 undergraduate and graduate students, as well as incoming transfer students.
In the nation鈥檚 ongoing efforts to thwart cyberattacks and scammers, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded 萝莉社more than $2.4 million to fund scholarships for the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.
Beginning in fall 2023, the five will be awarded to current 萝莉社 undergraduate and graduate students, as well as incoming transfer students. Recipients will receive funding for tuition, a stipend of $25,000 for undergraduate students and $34,000 for graduate students, as well as money for travel and supplies.
萝莉社鈥檚 CyberCorps Scholarship has two aims, said Dr. Sergio Salinas, associate professor at 萝莉社鈥檚 School of Computing and principal investigator on the project.
鈥淔irst, the scholarships will support exceptional cybersecurity students, and we hope they will encourage more students, especially those from underrepresented populations, to join our cybersecurity programs,鈥� Salinas said.
Secondly, there is a dire need to expand the cybersecurity workforce in the United States, Kansas and local governments.
鈥淐ybersecurity professionals in government organizations protect the critical infrastructure that supports the country,鈥� Salinas said. 鈥淲e wanted to help this crucial effort to protect our national security.鈥�
Once they are awarded the CyberCorps Scholarship, students will have access to exclusive opportunities and resources to help them succeed 鈥� including professional mentoring, financial management, access to a government liaison who will help students connect with agencies for applied learning and full-time employment after graduation, and a career fair with hundreds of government agencies.
Interested students can email sergio.salinasmonroy@wichita.edu for more information.
Recently, NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan and U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas visited 萝莉社 and raved about the important work the university is doing to prepare students for the careers of the future.
鈥溌芾蛏鏸s doing amazing things,鈥� Panchanathan said. 鈥淲hen I look at the convergence of what industry needs and what we need to train the next generation of experts, that fusion is right here in action 鈥� live 鈥� which is phenomenal to watch.鈥�
Moran said the CyberCorps award is indicative of 萝莉社鈥檚 strong relationship with the NSF and the university鈥檚 commitment to strengthening Kansas鈥� workforce.
鈥淲ichita鈥檚 strong cybersecurity workforce is bolstered through programs and training opportunities at 萝莉社that equip students to transition right into the workforce after graduation,鈥� said Moran. 鈥淚 appreciated the opportunity to show NSF Director Panchanathan what 萝莉社 has to offer last month and look forward to working with both the NSF and 萝莉社 to strengthen our nation鈥檚 cyber defenses.鈥�
According to the award abstract, 鈥渟ignificant efforts will be made to recruit and retain outstanding students, including those from underrepresented groups. As a result, the project will provide a steady stream of diverse workforce-ready cybersecurity professionals for government service.鈥�
Salinas said prioritizing underrepresented groups of students promotes 萝莉社鈥檚 priority of making higher education affordable and accessible.
鈥淭here are large segments of the U.S. population who are deprived of the opportunity to be cybersecurity professionals due to the underrepresentation of many groups in this field. Recruiting members of this groups can help reduce the gap,鈥� Salinas said.
Additionally, he said, diversity gives teams an advantage when solving with the multifaceted issues of cybersecurity.
鈥淚t has been shown that diverse teams are better at solving problems,鈥� Salinas said. 鈥淐ybersecurity is a complex field with more problems than we can solve with the current amount of cybersecurity professionals."
About 萝莉社 University
萝莉社is Kansas' only urban public research university, enrolling almost 22,000 students between its main campus and 萝莉社 Tech, including students from every state in the U.S. and more than 100 countries. 萝莉社 and 萝莉社 Tech are recognized for being student centered and innovation driven.
Located in the largest city in the state with one of the highest concentrations in the United States of jobs involving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), 萝莉社provides uniquely distinctive and innovative pathways of applied learning, applied research and career opportunities for all of our students.
The Innovation Campus, which is a physical extension of the 萝莉社main campus, is one of the nation鈥檚 largest and fastest-growing research/innovation parks, encompassing over 120 acres and is home to a number of global companies and organizations.
For more information, follow us on Twitter at and Facebook at .
