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Federal Government picks Dakota State University as Top Upper Midwest University for Cybersecurity Education Sioux Falls, SD - Dakota State University announced today that it has been selected by the United State government’s National Security Agency (NSA) in a competition among the nation’s top universities. The NSA has designated DSU as one of its elite core of universities by naming it a Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education. For DSU’s graduates, this will mean added credibility and open up even wider career possibilities protecting our nation’s critical electronic and computer infrastructure. For the university, it will mean significant federal funding. In addition, the federal government will look to DSU to play a national role in the war on terrorism and cybersecurity. "We have just been admitted to the ranks of one of the most elite academic clubs in the country," shared Dr. Douglas Knowlton, DSU President. "We’ve also proved that some of the brightest and best minds are right here in South Dakota. If you are a high school student who enjoys computer technology and where it’s going in the future—we have a tremendous career path for you!" DSU joins nine other universities named by the NSA, including the University of Texas, Boston University, University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Washington. Stanford, Carnegie Melon, Georgia Tech, Syracuse and Purdue are some of the current members from previous selections. DSU will be recognized in a ceremony honoring its achievement, June 8, during the annual conference of the NSA Centers of Excellence universities at the U.S. Military Academy, in West Point, NY. The NSA is the federal agency responsible for protecting the nation’s electronic information systems and collecting intelligence information. Since 9-11, President Bush and the Congress have instructed the NSA to become more aggressive in working with those universities that have faculty and students with expertise in Information Assurance. Outlined in the President’s National Plan for Information Systems Protection, American higher education has a role to play in preparing professionals to help protect the U.S. information infrastructure. NSA selects their schools through an annual competition of top universities meeting rigid requirements for their curriculum and research abilities. DSU was by far both the smallest university selected as well as the only one from the Upper Midwest. "We spent over a year of very hard work preparing to meet NSA’s standards," said DSU lead faculty member, Kevin Streff. "We had so many hurdles. The requirements were toughened late in the process. We had to prove that our curriculum was among the best in the country. But, probably the toughest part was to overcome the tendency for people to think that South Dakota could not be as competent as the big name universities on the east and west coast." "I want to thank Senator Tom Daschle and Senator Tim Johnson and their staffs," said Rick Smith, Vice President of Institutional Advancement. "They believed in us from the beginning. They helped us understand how to work in Washington and present our story. It was a great team effort for South Dakota! The state is now positioned to play a key national role in helping business and government protect themselves from cyber criminals." Located in Madison, SD, Dakota State University is a unique university in that it was mandated in 1984 by legislative charter to focus its resources and energies on becoming the state’s "computer technology" university. That meant in both the computer related degrees it offered as well as the way it used technology in the classroom and learning experience. Its technology focus is nearly unmatched in the nation with over half of its 2000 plus students majoring in technology degrees. The remaining "half" of students receives extensive preparation in the use of computer related technology in their major. The result has been tremendous demand for graduates. Placement rates for all graduates have been over 95% for many years with many majors such as Computer Science maintaining 100% rates for a decade. DSU has grown to be a pioneer in the region in the application of computer/information systems to the various traditional fields of academic endeavor, offering unique degree programs in Biology, English, Mathematics, and Physical Science that successfully integrate information systems with those disciplines.
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