Morgan Zantua, Executive Director

Last year was a foundation year for The Center for Cybersecurity Innovation. Our team convened the Center’s Advisory Board and applied for five grants. Four grants were awarded. In 2022 my time will be divided between delivering these grants, applying for new grants, developing a five-year strategic plan, and laying the foundation for CityU’s role as a leader in the cybersecurity community. 

I took time over the break to re-read the Birth of the Chaordic Age by Dee Hock. I have my original hardback copy, signed by the author on October 14, 2000. Versions of this book are available in the CityU library. Dee Hock wrote about leadership and organizational change required to establish a livable future in a world onset by rapid technological advancements and changing global business landscapes. Mr. Hock’s observations, gained as CEO of VISA, hold true today. In the coming years, one of my goals is to establish CityU’s Center for Cyber Innovations as an organization that influences CityU students to become leaders with ‘security mindsets.’ Cybersecurity concepts and skills are built into STC (School of Technology and Computing) degrees and can be disseminated and shared according to one of Dee’s MiniMaxims: Lead yourself, lead your supervisors, lead your peers, employ good people, and free them to do the same. All else is trivial. 

Now I will ask you to lead and share the scholarship opportunities available through STC. Two Center grants provide scholarships to develop cybersecurity high school teachers and prepare them to teach a complete cybersecurity course in Fall of 2022. Scholarship applications are being accepted now on the Center’s website. Classes start February 28th. Scholarship application for the Department of Defense Cyber Scholarship for service due February 1st. The application information and link are available here.