MSU students named new NSF computer security scholars
December 31, 2002
Mississippi State University is receiving more than $1 million for scholarships and other support for students training to meet the nation’s critical need for computer security and information assurance professionals.
University juniors Ben A. Hubbard of Louisville and Jason E. Free of Muscle Shoals, Ala., senior Cleveland V. Johnson of Canton and graduate student Jeffrey S. Morgan of Columbus recently were chosen as MSU’s first participants in the National Science Foundation Scholarship for Service program.
Recognizing academic achievement and leadership potential, each student’s award fully covers tuition and fees while providing allowances for books and housing. Undergraduate scholars also receive annual stipends totaling $8,000; $12,000 for graduate students.
Rayford Vaughn, an associate professor of computer science at Mississippi State, said the NSF provided the university with more than $1 million earlier this month to launch the training effort. The Washington, D.C.-based organization’s initial grant includes more than $900,000 for scholarships and almost $160,000 to build the capacity of its cyber-security program, he added.
Vaughn, who helps coordinate the computer security scholarship program on campus, said the NSF is the designated lead agency in a multifaceted government computer security and information assurance effort that includes educating information security professionals, commonly referred to as the “cyber corps.”
The NSF scholarship announcement follows the National Security Agency’s designation last year of MSU as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education.
“The funding supports a National Science Foundation initiative to help educate students to meet the nation’s critical computer security and information assurance needs,” Vaughn said. “It also is making possible one of the best scholarships available at the university.”
At the conclusion of the current academic year, the new NSF scholars will spend next summer on paid security-related internships with a variety of federal agencies. Under terms of their agreement, they also agree to serve with a federal agency for one year following graduation for each year they receive the scholarship.
“The importance of computers in personal and business communications, commerce and national security has created a need for individuals who can provide security for these systems,” Vaughn said. “Our computer science graduates are filling that need in the private sector and a variety of state and federal agencies.”
NSF deputy director Joseph Bordogna, in announcing the 2002 scholars, said, “It’s time to be as smart about cyber security as we are about cyberspace. We need many more of our nation’s most promising young minds focused on the growing cyber threats to national security.”