Cyber SMART hosted the second of its annual gatherings at the Virginia Tech Research Center in Arlington, Virginia. The meeting location was in celebration of welcoming Virginia Tech (officially the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University) as a new Cyber SMART site.

Cyber SMART, a U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Industry-University Collaborative Research Center (IUCRC), was initially established in 2019 at Georgetown University. The center’s name, Cyber SMART, stands for Science, Management, Applications, Regulation, and Training.

“Bringing in Virginia Tech as a new site further strengthens our consortium’s capabilities. Virginia Tech brings exceptional expertise in cybersecurity, particularly in the security of wireless communications and the cybersecurity of critical infrastructure, supported by their leadership role in the Commonwealth Cybersecurity Initiative (CCI),” said Jarek Nabrzyski, Cyber SMART Executive Director, Site Director and Lead Researcher, and founding director of the Center for Research Computing at the University of Notre Dame.

With Virginia Tech and the CCI recently brought into the consortium, the two organizations bring strengths that complement the center that Georgetown University and the University of Notre Dame have created, especially in areas including blockchain, cryptography, cryptocurrency regulations and standards, and cyber forensics.

Director of CCI Southwest Virginia Node, and professor of Virginia Tech, Gretchen Matthews, is now the Virginia Tech site director for Cyber SMART.

“CCI and Virginia Tech are adding workforce development, test beds, and a unique blend of expertise across disciplines that will increase the national impact of Cyber SMART. CCI’s mission looks beyond traditional STEM to include policy and business. We also bring strengths in agriculture, transportation, manufacturing, power and energy,” said Matthews.

Cyber SMART Center Director Ophir Frieder noted that Virginia Tech changes the landscape of the consortium.

“Virginia Tech not only vastly expanded our research scope through its engineering excellence, but it also, especially through CCI, greatly enhanced our impact in terms of personnel development,” said Frieder.

The expansion of the IUCRC’s group strengthens its ability to make a greater impact on both industry and policy.

Six researchers from Virginia Tech and CCI will be working with Cyber SMART, including:

• Eric Burger, CCI research director, co-principal investigator, Cyber SMART Virginia Tech site

• Peter Beling, Cyber SMART Virginia Tech site co-principal investigator, industrial and systems engineering

• Arianna Schuler Scott, Cyber SMART Virginia Tech site manager

• Wenjing Lou, computer science professor, Virginia Tech

• David Simpson, business information technology professor, Virginia Tech

“Together, our diverse expertise created a comprehensive approach to tackling challenges in cybersecurity and related fields,” said Nabrzyski. “Virginia Tech’s location in Virginia, especially in Northern Virginia technology and policy hub, will undoubtedly help attract more industry partners and deepen our relationships with existing ones.”

To learn more about Cyber SMART, please visit cybersmartcenter.org.

About Cyber SMART

Cyber SMART is a U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Industry-University Collaborative Research Center (IUCRC). Its participating research institutions include Georgetown University, the University of Notre Dame, the University of Technology Sydney, and Virginia Tech.

To learn more about Cyber SMART, please visit cybersmartcenter.org

Contact: Christina Clark, Research Communications Specialist

Cyber SMART / Notre Dame Research / University of Notre Dame

cclark26@nd.edu / 574.631.2665

Originally published by Christina Clark at cybersmartcenter.org on December 17, 2024.