Former Rhode Island Congressman Jim Langevin will lead the University of Rhode Island’s Institute for Cybersecurity and Emerging Technologies. Governor Dan McKee announced. Early this month.
The new institute aims to position Rhode Island at the forefront of cybersecurity education, workforce development and small business support by providing students with real-world experience through an undergraduate cybersecurity degree. The program will include an artificial intelligence degree as well as a master’s degree and certificate program.
“Every 11 seconds, a malicious attacker launches a ransomware attack against critical infrastructure, hospitals, governments, and businesses,” Langevin said in a press release. “This institute will help close the gap between unfilled cybersecurity jobs and the number of trained professionals needed to fill them.”
There are thousands of cybersecurity jobs available in Rhode Island and more than 500,000 jobs nationwide, according to the release.
“The future of cybersecurity is being shaped right here in Rhode Island,” Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Commissioner Jen Easterly said in a press release. “Cyber defense is a critical need, and this means we must recruit, train, prepare, and inspire the next generation of cyber leaders today. This is what the Emerging Technology Research Institute is doing.”
Upcoming degrees in AI aim to address the integration of technology into business processes, while also addressing concerns related to cybersecurity, privacy, and ethical issues. Additionally, the program aims to provide students with skills to address bias in machine learning models to ensure that companies are fair when acting on the output from these models. .
Langevin’s experience in Congress has established him as a leader in the cybersecurity field, the institute said in a release. During his tenure in Congress, Mr. Langevin served as co-founder and co-chair of the Congressional Cybersecurity Caucus.
“It’s always exciting when a successful University of Rhode Island graduate returns to his alma mater, but it’s rare for a homecoming to be as momentous as this one,” University of Rhode Island President Dr. Jake R. Warner said in a release. . “The leadership, vision, and expertise that Sen. Langevin brings to the new Institute for Cybersecurity and Emerging Technologies –With the resources Governor McKee and legislative leaders have invested in–This will be a transformative initiative for the university and the state. The University of Rhode Island, and by extension Rhode Island, will become a regional center of excellence for this important industry. ”