PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (March 4, 2022) With the $241,270 award from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), Louis Ngamassi, Ph.D., associate professor of accounting, finance, and management information systems in the College of Business, will bring the results of his research on cybersecurity to the classroom. The Accelerating Credentials of Purpose and Value project provides workforce development and curricular enhancement in cyber security at Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU). Ngamassi states, “It provides us an opportunity to bring some of our research results into the classroom.”

Ngamassi serves as the principal investigator for the project, which includes faculty training in cybersecurity oversight of the supporting computer laboratories. He will offer mentorship and training opportunities for students toward industry-recognized certifications and guide students on externship opportunities through the  Systems to Enhance Cybersecurity for Universal Research Environment (SECURE) Center of Excellence.

SECURE was established with funds from the Texas A&M University System’s Chancellor’s Research Initiative (CRI) program. Its’ vision is to be the nation’s premier multidisciplinary research institute in advancing cybersecurity as a basis for long-term partnership and collaboration among industry, academe, and government.

Co-principal investigators are Mohamed F. Chouikha, Ph.D., chief scientist and executive director of the SECURE Cybersecurity Center of Excellence; Camille Gibson, Ph.D., professor, interim dean of the college of juvenile justice, and executive director of the Texas Juvenile Crime Prevention Center, and Annamalai Annamalai, Ph.D., professor in the department of electrical and computer engineering.

”Dr. Ngamassi’s project is a great example of a collaborative effort,” says Magesh Rajan, Ph.D., P.E., MBA, vice president, PVAMU Research & Innovation. “The impact of Cybersecurity touches all reaches of society.  From technology and cellular service to utilities and farming.  So, the assembled team of researchers reflects the breadth of knowledge and expertise of outstanding researchers at PVAMU and the college and centers they represent.”

Ngamassi has earmarked a portion of the award to provide a two-day workshop for STEM and Non-STEM faculty from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) in Texas. The workshop’s focus will be to expand the meaningfulness of interdisciplinary cybersecurity education to students at their campuses. Workshop attendees will develop course offerings toward certificates, minors, and degrees in cybersecurity specifically for non-STEM majors.

The project exposes students to hands-on experiences in several critical areas of information and cybersecurity. They will gain practical experience in operating system security, penetration testing, and software security.

This team effort will increase the availability of a work-ready interdisciplinary cybersecurity workforce. Students will acquire cybersecurity training at their own pace through a virtual learning platform. This classroom-focused project will provide the opportunity to attain the widely recognized credentials of CompTIA A+ and, or Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP).

Ngamassi’s research interest is in social informatics and includes sub-areas such as development informatics and crisis informatics. His research has been published in several refereed journals.  He is a former Fulbright scholar and a former United Nations Fulbright Fellow.

“PVAMU’s recognition as a Carnegie Research 2 (R2) institution will have numerous positive impacts. PVAMU will benefit from more prestige within the scientific community. Also, it will be easier for PVAMU to attract more students, highly qualified faculty and researchers, and more grant awards,” said Ngamassi.

###

Karen B. Cotton