Savannah State University (SSU) has received a three-year grant for $741,422 from the U.S. Department of Education’s Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program (MSEIP). The principal investigator is Asad Yousuf, Ph.D., professor and chair of electronics engineering technology at SSU.

The grant will allow SSU to create new courses and program options related to cybersecurity in response to the growing workforce need to combat cybercrime. SSU will add a cybersecurity track to its current computer science technology degree program as well as establish a certificate or a minor for majors in other STEM fields. Cybersecurity courses will also be available to students within any major to increase general knowledge of cybercrime issues.

Course topics will include hacker behavior analysis, securing networks and supply chains, digital forensics and cryptography. Some of the courses will target students in homeland security and emergency management, criminal justice and forensic science and expose them to the latest techniques in accumulating data and evidence for prosecuting cybercrimes.

“I’m proud of Savannah State faculty members who continue to excel in acquiring extramural support to sustain vital research and scholarship among our various academic disciplines,” said Kimberly Ballard-Washington, interim president of SSU. “Thanks to this federal grant, we can help prepare our graduates to take on vital technical roles in the cybersecurity industry, where the need for cybertalent is growing rapidly.”

“The grant will allow underserved minorities to become experts and pursue careers in cybersecurity,” said Mohamad Mustafa, Ph.D., dean of the College of Sciences and Technology. “It’s critical for national safety that our workforce is ready to lead the way in maintaining and protecting data systems, and that those leaders come from a variety of backgrounds.”

The grant will support efforts to increase the number of minorities and women prepared to maintain and protect technology systems, track cybercriminals and prevent data hacking. It will also make SSU one of the few institutions to offer a bachelor’s degree option in cybersecurity.