Dr. Valerie Taylor, senior associate dean for academic affairs and the Royce E. Wisenbaker Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Texas A&M University, was awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant for her efforts in establishing a new Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) site.
The RET site is called SECURE (Secure teacher Education on Cybersecurity by Utilizing Research Experiences), and is focused on cybersecurity research at Texas A&M. This grant is a collaboration with the College of Education and Human Development at Texas A&M.
High school teachers and community college faculty members who teach in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) will be invited to apply for the six-week summer program. The grant provides funding to support 10 teachers each year for three years. The SECURE program provides an opportunity for the high school teachers and community college faculty to be engaged in cutting-edge cybersecurity research with one of the following faculty: Dr. Guofei Gu, Dr. Andreas Klappenecker and Dr. Philip Richey, all with the computer science and engineering department, and Dr. Narashimha Reddy in the electrical and computer engineering department.
The teachers are required to incorporate the research experience and knowledge into their classrooms. The goal is to significantly enhance and improve STEM education in the school districts and two-year institutions near Texas A&M.
Research topics will span software, network security, cryptography and malware, which are all topics of current interest and importance to society.
The co-principal investigators for the grant include Shelly Tornquist, director of the PK-12 Engineering Education Outreach at Texas A&M; Dr. Cindy Lawley, assistant vice chancellor for academic and outreach programs; Dr. Philip Ritchey, instructional assistant professor of computer science and engineering; and Dr. Trina Davis, associate professor of teaching, learning and culture.