CSUSB’s Cybersecurity Center, soon to be called the Center for Cyber and AI, hosted the annual Center of Academic Excellence (CAE) in Cybersecurity Community Symposium from April 16-17 in Louisville, Ky.

In addition to showcasing cybersecurity workforce strategy, research and education innovation, the annual symposium served as a platform for fostering intercampus relationships and promoting networking and collaboration.

In attendance were over 400 universities and colleges, designated as National Centers of Academic Excellence (NCAE). These educational institutions displayed their research programs on cybersecurity workforce and academic issues, bringing together the best minds to help solve cybersecurity workforce issues. The CAE Community Symposium also served as an opportunity to foster collaboration, innovation and personal growth amongst professionals, educators and leading minds in the field of cybersecurity.

Day one of the symposium included working groups addressing strategic issues regarding higher education cyber program development and K-12 cybersecurity pathways in communities, Federal Agency Academic Partnerships, the CAE Community Progress, and NCAE Project Management Office. The second day wrapped up the collaboration with a keynote presentation highlighting the future of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (AI), followed by presentations, mini-workshops and panel presentations.

Under Tony Coulson’s leadership, the Cybersecurity Center was named a CAE Community National Center by the NSA’s NCAE program, which selected the center for a $12 million grant and CSUSB to be a leader of one of the agency’s core workforce development initiatives, the CAE in Cybersecurity Community.

In its designation as a national center, the Cybersecurity Center has established and manages three Centers of Academic Excellence Communities of Practice, coordinates cutting-edge research, promotes the NCAE Cyber Games national competition, as well as the XPCyber range.

From 2010-2024, the center has brought in over $70 million worth of grant-sponsored programs from entities that include NICE, the NCAE Program, Department of Defense and the National Science Foundation. Through the grant-sponsored activities of the center, students can compete for scholarships, participate in national conferences, and research emerging cybersecurity issues.

For more information about the symposium, email info@caecommunity.org or visit the CAE in Cybersecurity Community website.