Checking in on Cybersecurity and Higher Ed ...

As NEJHE noted last month, the topic of cybersecurity and higher education is not going away any time soon.On Oct. 27, Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) and a consortium of Western Massachusetts colleges and universities received a $1.46 million state grant to establish a Cybersecurity Center of Excellence at Springfield’s Union Station.STCC will open its facilities in 2024. STCC's facilities will be managed as part of a collaboration between other higher education institutions, including Bay Path University, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Western New England University, Elms College, American International College and Springfield College.Bridgewater State University was also awarded funds to construct cyber ranges and Security Operations Centers facilities, according to an announcement last week.The Massachusetts Cybersecurity Forum announced the launch of CyberTrust Massachusetts, a new nonprofit that will work with business and academia to grow the cybersecurity talent pipeline, increase career pathways for underrepresented groups, and promote the security operations to address day-to-day needs of resource-constrained municipalities and organizations.In the Commonwealth's press release, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker said, "We're seeking to establish Massachusetts as the national leader when it comes to cybersecurity infrastructure."In other cyber news:

• As part of the CyberSecurity Awareness month, the University of Rhode Island announced its 2022 CyberCorps Scholarship for Service. Funded in partnership with the National Science Foundation, the scholarship provides selected undergraduate students in cybersecurity-related fields with $25,000 for tuition and fees each academic year for up to three years, and graduate students with $34,000 per academic year for up to three years.
• The Boston Division of the FBI announced a partnership with Moderna, the biotech company and vaccine maker, to highlight cybersecurity awareness among government, academic and private-sector organizations about cyberthreats.
• When Champlain College inaugurated Alejandro Hernandez as its 10th president last week, the Burlington, Vt. college highlighted the new leader’s initiative to make Champlain one of “the best places in the world for women in cybersecurity” and noted the creation of a Women in Cybersecurity Leadership Council to help meet this goal.

Viktoria Popovska is a NEBHE journalism intern and a junior at Boston University.