Cyber students earn certificates from government agencies

Monday, May 11, 2026 • Leslie Hull-Ryde
Dr. Hala Strohmier, director of USCA's Center of Cyber Initiative and Awareness, center, celebrated the inaugural cohort of students in the Master of Computer and Information Sciences who graduated May 6.
Dr. Hala Strohmier, director of USCA's Center of Cyber Initiative and Awareness, center, celebrated the inaugural cohort of students in the Master of Computer and Information Sciences who graduated May 6.

USCA is designated a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense by the National Security Agency, which means that when cyber majors graduated on May 6 in the Etherredge Center, they met NSA and Department of Homeland Security requirements.

During the Cyber Student Association and Center for Cyber Initiatives, Awareness and Artificial Intelligence end-of-year program on May 5, 48 students received NSA/DHS CAE-CD certificates. Several other achievements were recognized during the event.

Cyber accomplishments 2025-26 :

  • The inaugural cohort of students in the Master of Computer and Information Sciences graduated this spring . 
  • Cyber Pacers placed third in a Capture the Flag competition last fall . 
  • Cyber Pacers placed 187th out of more than 8,700 teams in the picoCTF cybersecurity hacking competition hosted by Carnegie Mellon University.  
  • Cyber students earned first place during Discover SC. 
  • One undergraduate and two master’s program research teams were selected by the Fort Gordon Cyber Center from hundreds of highly competitive research posters competition to showcase their research at TechNet Augusta in August.  
  • Students presented their cyber/AI research at numerous regional, national, and international conferences and symposia.  
  • The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ Xplore published four cyber students’ research. 
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