by Heidie Raine, Student Public Relations Writer
Cedarville University is excited to have made it into the Sweet Sixteen . . . for cyber education.
Cedarville was featured as one of the top 16 cyber education programs in the United States in a Chief Information Officers Institute (CIO) report titled “What Works in Finding Elite Cybersecurity Talent: Promising Practices for Chief Information Officers.”
The report explored the most effective methods for cybersecurity education and highlighted its “Sweet 16” university programs. Cedarville was recognized for its excellence alongside prestigious institutions like the U.S. service academies and much larger schools like Texas A&M.
“The academic discipline of cybersecurity education is still coming into its own. We are excited to be in a position to help shape it as it matures,” Dr. Seth Hamman, associate professor of cyber operations and computer science and director of the Center for the Advancement of Cybersecurity, said. “CIO’s report is a really nice affirmation that we’re doing things the right way.”
This recognition by CIO comes after many successes for Cedarville’s computer science program in recent years, including its 2018 designation by the National Security Agency as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Operations. Only 22 universities currently hold this designation.
“It’s difficult to strike a balance in cyber education between technical training and education. Industry demands hands-one skills, but we also have to make sure we are future-proofing the workforce by imparting critical thinking skills and a love of learning,” Hamman added.
The debut of Cedarville’s Bachelor of Science in cyber operations program this school year helped the university add to its cyber courses. It introduced classes geared toward computer science fundamentals, hands-on cyber labs and specialized technical skills like software reverse engineering.
“To practice cyber at the highest levels, a solid understanding of cyberspace is essential because adversaries operate deep in the technology,” Hamman explained. “We benefit by having a well-established computer science program to build our cyber operations program on top of.”
Hamman is also excited about the credibility that recognition from an outside organization brings to Cedarville’s cyber operations program.
“SANS, the world’s premier cybersecurity industry trainer, is behind this report,” Hamman added. “It’s especially encouraging for me to have them reporting on our success.”
Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is an accredited, Christ-centered, Baptist institution with an enrollment of 4,715 undergraduate, graduate, and online students in more than 150 areas of study. Founded in 1887, Cedarville is one of the largest private universities in Ohio, recognized nationally for its authentic Christian community, rigorous academic programs, including the Bachelor of Science in Computer Science program, strong graduation and retention rates, accredited professional and health science offerings, and high student engagement ranking. For more information about the University, visit www.cedarville.edu.