National cyber director discusses need for homegrown workforce

Penn State representatives met with Director Harry Coker Jr. on Sept. 17

September 18, 2024

SHARON, Pa. - Penn State Shenango representatives took part in a roundtable discussion about the changing landscape of cybersecurity career opportunities and the state of cyber education in the commonwealth at an event with White House National Cyber Director Harry Coker Jr. on Sept. 17.

The event was hosted by the Pennsylvania Cybersecurity Center (PCC), which is housed in the eCenter at LindenPointe in Hermitage.

The PCC, through the LindenPointe Development Corp. and in partnership with Penn State Shenango's Continuing Education, delivers fully virtual computer science and cybersecurity training programs to local high school and college students, as well as adult learners in the region. Through a recent $1.15 million grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission's POWER (Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization) Initiative, the PCC aims to expand throughout the commonwealth to develop and deliver new programs and initiatives.

"This funding will not only provide students from all backgrounds with access to education in one of the most in-demand industries, but it will also serve as a feeder program for the cybersecurity sector as a whole," said Bradley Calleja, executive director at the LindenPointe Development Corporation.

Penn State has assisted with the delivery and instruction of the PCC's training sessions, which include CompTIA Network+ and Security+ certifications, among others.

"Leveraging the regional resources at Penn State to assist with this initiative is a perfect example of community partnerships working together for the benefit of the entire region," said Penn State Beaver and Shenango Regional Chancellor Carey McDougall. "Partnering with organizations like the PCC to provide access to educational programming and workforce development serves our mission as a land grant institution."

Calleja agreed.

"The support that the Commonwealth Campuses give to a non-profit organization and program like this, is really what helps us reach all of the high school students in the room today," Calleja said. "Penn State Shenango, Penn State Beaver and the rest of the regional campuses are really the backbone to some of the programs that we run."

The Sept. 17 event featured a roundtable to discuss the need for an expanded educational ecosystem for cyber disciplines to address the evolving nature of the field with a focus on developing regional talent.

The roundtable included Coker and McDougall, along with Director of Continuing Education for Beaver, New Kensington and Shenango Jill Valentine, Lecturer of Information Sciences and Technology Matthew DeMaria, Assistant Professor of Cybersecurity Dima Rabadi, and Joshua Marshall, a cybersecurity analytics and operations student at Shenango.

Marshall's educational journey, which includes earning a CompTIA certification through the PCC and a recently completed cybersecurity internship at The Primary Health Network, earned praise during Coker's comments.

"As the Cybersecurity Club President [at Penn State Shenango], Josh demonstrates strong leadership and teamwork skills," Coker said. "Young leaders [like Marshall] are pushing boundaries in cyber."

Marshall expressed excitement at participating in the event.

"Just having the privilege to meet with Director Coker, who is at the forefront of innovating new ways to implement cyber into everyday life, is fantastic," Marshall said.

The PCC also announced its plan to build a physical cyber range at its LindenPointe location, allowing students to experience realistic cyber threats on a protected network, with the goal of broadening their virtual reach across the commonwealth to include high school students from eight Pennsylvania counties.