By Phyllis Johnson

Two federal agencies, the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), jointly designated the University of Maryland as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Research. The university received the formal award at the 13th Colloquium for Information Systems Security Education in Seattle, Washington on June 3, 2009.

Gerry Sneeringer, Director of Security in OIT, coordinated the application process, and the application reflected the substantial accomplishments in the area of information assurance research by faculty and students in a number of academic disciplines across the university. The following members of the University of Maryland community participated in the development of the university’s application: John S. Baras, Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering; Michel Cukier, Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering; Brian Darmody, Assistant Vice President for Research and Economic Development; Lawrence Gordon, Professor, Accounting and Information Assurance; Michael W. Hicks, Associate Professor, Computer Science; Martin Loeb, Professor, Accounting and Information Assurance; William Lucyshyn, Senior Research Scholar, School of Public Policy; Sennur Ulukus, Associate Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering; and Min Wu, Associate Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering.

The National Centers of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Research Program was launched to address the need for robust information assurance technology, policy, and practices that will enable the United States to effectively prevent and respond to a catastrophic event. It is jointly sponsored by NSA and DHS and recognizes schools that foster an information assurance research focus in curriculum and labs. The vision for the program is to establish a process that will present opportunities for information assurance research centers to delve into much needed solutions to securing the global information grid and provide the NSA, DHS, and other federal agencies with insight into academic information assurance programs that can support advanced academic research and development capabilities.

“This award is a recognition of the critical role that University of Maryland research is playing in the protection of the information and communications resources essential to 21st century life,” said Gerry Sneeringer.

Universities designated as Centers of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Research are eligible to apply for scholarships and grants through both the Federal and Department of Defense Information Assurance Scholarship Programs.