Whatcom Community College is now the lead institution of CyberWatch West, a regional cybersecurity education consortium funded by the National Science Foundation.
CyberWatch West is one of only four centers in the nation dedicated to cybersecurity education.
Corrinne Sande, the lead faculty member of Whatcom’s Computer Information Systems program, will direct the project, and the CyberWatch West center will move from its current California location to WCC’s campus in Bellingham.
CyberWatch West was formed in 2011 to increase the quantity and quality of the cybersecurity workforce throughout the western U. S. WCC was one of five founding members along with Mt. San Antonio College (Calif.), California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, California State University, Dominguez Hills and California State University, San Bernardino.
Today, 36 high schools, colleges and universities are CyberWatch West members.
The NSF provided a $3 million advanced technology education grant over four years to support CyberWatch West operations.
“This is a great honor,” said WCC President Kathi Hiyane-Brown, in a news release. “Naming Whatcom as the lead institution acknowledges our expertise in the field of cybersecurity education and the ability of our faculty and staff to advance the NSF-funded project. It also recognizes Corrinne Sande’s standing as a national leader in cybersecurity education.”
Sande was the subject of a Q-and-A interview with The Bellingham Business Journal in May 2013, where she shared insights into the cybersecurity field and the importance of computer security. Read the interview here.
