ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Maryland – On Jan. 18th, the Software Engineering Center (SEC) congratulated 14 employees for completing the Towson Master’s program in Computer Science with a Cyber Security focus. The partnership with Towson provided for the cohorts a unique master’s level curriculum from FY20 to FY22. With 11 rigorous courses in the curriculum, the program offered a deep dive into state-of-the-art IT, cyber concepts and computer science.
Speakers at the event cited the need to develop, protect and deliver software in an increasingly innovative and rapid manner.
For the SEC, that means investing in its workforce.
“The master’s program that our graduates have just gone through has given the foundational skills needed in computer science along with building their confidence, knowledge base and critical thinking skills to advance our software efforts in the future,” said SEC Acting Director, Michelle Dirner.
The program stretches back to the 2000s when the SEC was headquartered in New Jersey where it was partnered with Monmouth University. The aim has been to maintain a dynamic civilian workforce by ensuring organic capabilities within the government are in line with constantly changing skillsets in the industry.
Larry Muzzelo, Deputy to the Commanding General (retired), explained the necessity of in-house technical expertise: “Making sure our employees are educated and keeping pace with advances in technology demonstrates our commitment to look toward to the future and reinforces our aspiration to always have a technically savvy and expert Department of the Army civilian workforce.”
“We have a critical responsibility in serving this nation. It is through your actions that the Army C5ISR and logistics systems will continue to provide their intended capability and enable the American solider to defend this nation,” Muzzelo advised the graduates.
The graduates represent disciplines in software development and management, system administration, computer science, policy planning and cybersecurity.
“We know your day jobs are hard and stressful. You carry a lot of weight for our nation,” said Dr. Sidd Kaza, Associate Provost for Research and Dean of Graduate Studies. “So we learn perseverance when we look at you … Your mission is national security.”
Before presenting each graduate with an award, Deputy to the Commanding General, Liz Miranda commended the cohorts: “We need that industrial and technological advance—and innovation—that you all bring to our warfighter and our army. We want to win quickly and with full determination … each of you bring great experiences, background and new skills that will help us continue to keep our warfighters at the forefront of technology.”
The members of the 2022 SEC Towson University Master Program graduate class are: Maya Abraham, Trevor Braden, Jeremiah Andrew Caban, Mark Cullum Jr., James Ford, Farrell Foy III, Zachary Gischel, Adam Hall, Katie Kearney, Dre Moore, Nick Richter, Dakota Stern, Steve Wood and Kristy Makailyn Zander.
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