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������Ƶ Community College computer information systems and networking student, Bárbara Marques, originally from São Paulo, Brazil, and currently a resident of Danvers, MA, participates in a recent training exercise in the ������Ƶ cyber range on the Wellesley Hills campus.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Liz Cooper
ecooper@massbay.edu

WELLESLEY HILLS, Mass. (August 15, 2024) — ������Ƶ Community College is now only the third community college in New England, and the first in Massachusetts, to earn the designation of a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) by the . Only 20 institutions of higher education in all of New England have earned the CAE-CD designation.

The CAE-CD is bestowed on institutions that are deemed as instrumental in helping to reduce threats to the national infrastructure by promoting higher education and research in cyber defense, as well as providing the nation with a pipeline of qualified cybersecurity professionals. The prestigious CAE-CD designation is awarded to regionally accredited academic institutions offering cybersecurity degrees and/or certificates at the associate, bachelor, and graduate levels.

“We are extremely proud, but not surprised, that our cybersecurity programs have been acknowledged with this prestigious designation,” said ������Ƶ President David Podell. “Our cybersecurity programs are cutting-edge, and we have been educating the country’s future workforce to protect our privacy and the national cyber infrastructure for many years now. This designation is another confirmation that our cybersecurity programs stand among the highest quality anywhere.”

������Ƶ is the first and only institution of higher education in Massachusetts to offer an associate degree in cybersecurity. The CAE-CD is the second recognition ������Ƶ’s cybersecurity programs have received by the U.S. Government in the past year. In August 2023, ������Ƶ’s was deemed a model program by the White House during the release of the Biden-Harris Administration’s National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy.

Founded in 2013 as a certificate in cybersecurity, ������Ƶ’s cybersecurity programs have been expanded to include a certificate in advanced cybersecurity and an associate degree in cybersecurity. The programs recently earned two significant grants to enhance its educational reach and capacity. In 2021, ������Ƶ received a National Science Foundation (NSF) Advanced Technology Education (ATE) grant entitled AttrACTing the Next Generation Cybersecurity Workforce (ACT) in the amount of $598,712. The ACT grant funds are devoted to diversifying the cybersecurity field by recruiting, retaining, and graduating underrepresented and especially female students in ������Ƶ’s cybersecurity programs. In the fall of 2023, the College was awarded $804,162 from the Healey-Driscoll Administration as part of their $1.4 million investment to increase cyber training in Massachusetts. These funds enabled ������Ƶ to open a cyber range, a state-of-the-art virtual environment, enabling users to hone their skills detecting, intercepting, and defending against simulated cyber-crimes.

The programs feature three outstanding faculty: Shamsi Moussavi, Computer Science Professor and Director of the ������Ƶ Center for Cybersecurity Education; Tony Sena, Professor and Chair of the Computer Science department; and Kara Lucciola, J.D., Professor of Legal Studies and Criminal Justice.

“Cybersecurity impacts all citizens on a daily basis, making it vital that we have an educated workforce ready to protect us,” said Professor Moussavi. “The investments ������Ƶ has made in cybersecurity has ensured students will receive the skills and knowledge they need to launch careers in the constantly evolving, complex cybersecurity industry. And, in doing so, they will have a direct impact on the future of our national security and the stability of our economy.”

Enrollment for the fall 2024 semester is currently underway. Qualified Massachusetts residents who don’t already hold a bachelor’s degree are eligible to attend ������Ƶ for free for those who submit a FAFSA and submit a free application to ������Ƶ by August 27, 2024. More information about free college can be found here: www.massbay.edu/free.

About ������Ƶ

������Ƶ Community College is the most affordable higher education option in MetroWest Boston, offering a robust portfolio of courses and more than 70 associate degree and certificate programs with flexible day, evening, and weekend classes in Ashland, Framingham, Wellesley Hills, and online. ������Ƶ students receive an unmatched educational value by earning stackable credits that transfer to bachelor’s degree programs, and workforce-ready skills necessary to advance careers in high-demand fields such as health and life sciences, automotive technology, engineering, business, cybersecurity, and the humanities. ������Ƶ’s Associate Degree in Nursing (RN) and Practical Nursing (LPN) programs were both ranked as the #1 Nursing Program in Massachusetts in 2020, 2021, and 2023 by national nursing advocacy organizations RegisteredNursing.org, and PracticalNursing.org. Since its founding in 1961, ������Ƶ has been accredited by several governing bodies and remains firmly committed to its mission of meeting the needs of the diverse local communities it serves. We value the intrinsic worth of all individuals, collectively in pursuit of inclusiveness and prioritize our work towards achieving equity within our community and beyond.

About the National Security Agency Center for Academic Excellence

In 1999, the National Security Agency (NSA) launched the Center for Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education program. Under this program, institutions receive a designation after passing rigorous curriculum and program requirements. In September 2018, the United States government created the National Cyber Strategy to address the critical shortage of professionals with cybersecurity skills and to highlight the importance of higher education as a solution to defending America’s cyberspace. For more information, please visit: .