The White House issued a report on Tuesday, June 25, sharing that the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) has been acknowledged for its significant contributions to the U.S. National Cybersecurity Strategy, which was launched in March 2023.
The report, titled “Report on the Initial Stages of the National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy Implementation,” provides a status update on the federally-driven, nationwide approach aimed at building a more defensible, resilient, and value-aligned digital ecosystem for the United States and its allies.
UTC was specifically recognized for achieving the prestigious National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity designation. This recognition was largely due to its “Collaborative Research: CyberCorps Scholarship for Service: Strengthening the National Cybersecurity Workforce With Integrated Learning of AI/ML and Cybersecurity” program.
Additionally, UTC is among 104 American universities participating in the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) “Scholarship for Service” program. This initiative, launched at UTC in 2017 with a $1.5 million grant from the NSF’s CyberCorps Scholarship for Service initiative, received renewed funding in 2023 amounting to over $2.2 million over five years.
Dr. Mengjun Xie, a UC Foundation professor of computer science, oversees the UTC program and believes the designation is something to be proud of.
“UTC stands as a premier leader in cybersecurity education and workforce development in the southeastern region,” Xie said. “With the prestigious designation as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity and the NSF CyberCorps Scholarship for Service award, we demonstrate our commitment to excellence and our proactive approach to addressing the national challenge of workforce development in cybersecurity.”
Graduates of the program are required to serve in cybersecurity roles within federal, state, local, or tribal government organizations or other designated entities for a period equivalent to the length of their scholarship. Alumni have secured positions with prominent federal agencies, including the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).
The National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy is managed by the White House Office of the National Cyber Director. The strategy emphasizes White House-level coordination to address the demand for a skilled cyber workforce and aims to create a future where workers have access to well-paying, meaningful cyber jobs within their communities. This initiative is in response to the growing demand for cybersecurity professionals, which surpasses the current capacity for workforce development and training.
