Organizations across the country are under increasing threat from cyber-attacks. According to FEMA, 40% of businesses never reopen after a disaster, including a severe cyber-attack, and for those that do, only 29% are still operating after two years. Organizations who lose their information technology for 9 days or more almost always end up filing for bankruptcy within a year.
Dakota State University (DSU) is energetically working to extend and expand its nationally recognized cyber security education and research efforts to position South Dakota as a key cyber-strong state. The university has gained national recognition from the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security as home to four Centers of Academic Excellence for cyber security education, including as a Consultant Cyber Defense Regional Resource Center. The Center is responsible for setting standards and providing leadership for cyber security education and research in 11 states and over 35 universities.
Program Highlights for November 27, 2017
Technology is the signature mission of Dakota State University. DSU offers a full range of educational opportunities. Sixty-six percent of their majors focus on Science, Technology, and Mathematics. Currently, enrollment is the highest it has ever been with 3,307 students. The enrollment numbers continue to grow. Every students is required to take a cyber security class to graduate.
Dr. Griffiths spoke about how the university is preparing cyber warriors. She spoke about how DSU’s new Madison Cyber Labs, the MadLabs, a collection of cyber institutes and research centers, are addressing cyber security issues for specific industries and endeavors. Dr. Griffiths discussed the many partnership opportunities DSU and the MadLabs offer for South Dakota organizations to access and benefit from DSU’s expertise.
Dr. Griffiths also spoke about how DSU is energizing its heritage mission of teaching teachers. The university is expanding its involvement in K-12 education, working with school systems to significantly grow cyber education opportunities and careers for South Dakota students. Their goal is to create and require all students in South Dakota grades 4 to 8 to receive a vigorous cyber curriculum.
Finally, the President Griffiths spoke about the proposed South Dakota 5G network, SD5G. This provides an opportunity to position South Dakota as a national information transportation leader by being the first state in the country to develop and deploy a secure 5G network. SD5G will expand the capabilities and use of the Internet of Things (IOT). Experts expect billions of Internet-connected devises by 2021. This will increase economic development prospects in the region and across the state.
On August 20, 2017, DSU announced new funding of $60 million. Miles and Lisa Beacom and Denny Sanford donated $30 million, $10 million SD state match over 2 years, and $20 million DSU commitment to raise in Federal funds over 5 years. This money will be used for the Madison Cyber Labs facility, student scholarships, new faculty and staff, new degree programs and SD5G.
Dr. José-Marie Griffiths has previously served as Vice President for Academic Affairs at Bryant University in Smithfield, Rhode Island, as the Dean of the School of Information and Library Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chief Information Officer at the University of Michigan, Vice Chancellor at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, and Vice President for King Research, Inc. She has a B.Sc. with honors in Physics, a Ph.D. in Information Science and a Post Doctorate in Computer Science and Statistics, all from University College London (UCL), London, England. In 2016 UCL, one of the top multidisciplinary research university’s in the world, awarded Dr. Griffiths an additional Honorary Doctorate for her “distinguished contributions to science, and her lifelong career in higher education, which has also spanned information and computational science.”
Dr. Griffiths has spent over 30 years in research, teaching, public service, corporate leadership, economic development, and higher education administration. She has used her knowledge and expertise in computational science and technology to advance projects and endeavors across these fields. She has conducted ground-breaking work in meta-data and return-on-investment analysis of “big data” information systems, including multiple approaches to cost-benefit assessment; the influences of the digital revolution on the conduct of research, technology transfer, and economic development; and developing and implementing innovative and successful models for higher education/government/
The importance of Dr. Griffiths’ work has put her in demand for numerous policy boards, while also attracting significant research support. She has been awarded presidential appointments from two United States Presidents, including The National Science Board, the U.S. President’s Information Technology Advisory Committee, and the U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information. She has had appointments to multiple projects as lead or key personnel for over 28 United States federal agencies, departments and offices, among them the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Energy, the National Institute of Science and Technology, NASA, and all the branches of the military and U.S. intelligence agencies. NATO, UNESCO and the British Library Research and Development Division have funded some of the projects in over 35 countries she has lead or in which she has participated.
Dr. Griffiths has carried out projects and/or served in advisory roles on projects in science and technology with over 20 major corporations such as AT & T Bell Laboratories, IBM, Eastman Kodak, Johnson & Johnson, and Du Pont. She has also won numerous honors and awards for her research and her advocacy for the role of women in science, including having been appointed a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and having received two top honors from the American Society for Information Science and Technology.
Dr. Griffiths has published prolifically, authoring or co-authoring nine books, more than one hundred articles, chapters in books, international conference proceedings and some two hundred technical reports. She has made hundreds of presentations and spoken at universities, conferences and other invited appearances around the globe.
Dr. Griffiths has published prolifically, authoring or co-authoring nine books, more than one hundred articles, chapters in books, international conference proceedings and some two hundred technical reports. She has made hundreds of presentations and spoken at universities, conferences and other invited appearances around the globe.
Program for December 4, 2017
District 5610 Governor Steve Harrington