{"id":169953,"date":"2026-10-28T10:14:03","date_gmt":"2026-10-28T14:14:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/?p=169953"},"modified":"2026-10-28T10:14:04","modified_gmt":"2026-10-28T14:14:04","slug":"wright-states-cybersecurity-program-awarded-nearly-200000-to-strengthen-workforce-development-efforts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/2026\/10\/28\/wright-states-cybersecurity-program-awarded-nearly-200000-to-strengthen-workforce-development-efforts\/","title":{"rendered":"Wright State\u2019s cybersecurity program awarded nearly $200,000 to strengthen workforce development efforts"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"A<\/a>

Wright State University’s cybersecurity program receive a nearly $200,000 cooperative agreement to develop a new workforce development program. (Photo by Erin Pence)<\/p><\/div>\n

Wright State University was awarded a nearly $200,000 cooperative agreement from the U.S. Department of Commerce\u2019s National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop a program that better prepares students for cybersecurity careers in advanced manufacturing.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As part of the cooperative agreement, Wright State will lead an initiative through the Regional Alliances and Multistakeholder Partnerships to Stimulate Cybersecurity Education and Workforce Development (RAMPS) program, working with local employers to align education and training with industry needs while also addressing the shortage of cybersecurity professionals.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Junjie Zhang, Ph.D., program director of cybersecurity, says the field is growing, making it increasingly important to ensure students gain the skills and knowledge needed to enter the workforce after graduation.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Wright State currently has 217 students enrolled in undergraduate, graduate, combined-degree or pre-degree cybersecurity programs<\/a>, housed in the College of Engineering and Computer Science<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cCybersecurity protects more than computers and information,\u201d Zhang said. “In advanced manufacturing, students have opportunities to apply computing, engineering and problem-solving skills to real-world challenges involving digital technologies, manufacturing processes and systems that turn designs into physical products.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Through the cooperative agreement, Wright State\u2019s cybersecurity program is developing SecureAM Pathways, an initiative designed to keep students\u2019 training relevant with the help of local advanced manufacturing employers. Cybersecurity tasks and skills gaps will be identified through <\/span>interviews, surveys and advisory discussions and then used to inform curriculum updates, including lessons, labs and assessments aligned with the NICE Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe will develop employer-informed learning materials and integrate them into existing courses, preparing cybersecurity students to understand manufacturing systems while helping engineering students develop cybersecurity skills,\u201d Zhang said.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

By working with SOCHE and local partners such as the Dayton Region Manufacturers Association, Dayton Development Coalition and Yaskawa Motoman, the program will extend beyond the classroom through workshops, seminars and hands-on training and will help identify opportunities for <\/span>employer-supported internships, co-ops and project-based learning. Additional outreach to schools, educators and regional partners will continue to raise career awareness and broaden pathways into the cybersecurity workforce.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Harsh Pandya, a cybersecurity graduate student, says that his hands-on industry experience with AXE AI helped bridge the gap between academic learning and real-world cybersecurity challenges, and that the addition of SecureAM Pathways will only further opportunities for Wright State students.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cThe cybersecurity program has provided me with valuable opportunities to apply my knowledge outside of the classroom through participation in cybersecurity challenges, mentorship from industry professionals and putting my knowledge into practice through a summer internship,\u201d Pandya said. \u201cThe combination of industry experience, coursework and research has helped me develop practical technical skills and prepare for a career in cybersecurity.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Wright State is one of nine institutions selected for a cooperative agreement this year and the third university in Ohio to be named a RAMPS community. With this year\u2019s new additions, there are now 55 RAMPS communities across 26 states.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

SecureAM Pathways will connect Wright State\u2019s cybersecurity program with local employers to identify workforce needs and prepare students to fill in-demand roles after graduation. Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":88,"featured_media":169962,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[722,4267,743,2060,725,715,2061],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-169953","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academics","category-computer-science-and-engineering","category-engineering-computer-science","category-graduate","category-home-news-sidebar","category-news","category-undergraduate"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/169953","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/88"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=169953"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/169953\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":170125,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/169953\/revisions\/170125"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/169962"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=169953"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=169953"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/webapp2.wright.edu\/web1\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=169953"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}