Cyber Patriot Grant Team

PI: Marcia Schenck, Department Chair of Computer and Engineering Technologies, SCC

Marcia will lead faculty to cross-reference the current curriculum to KSA s to identify gaps and oversee modification of curriculum to embed concepts designated by the BILT. She will seek approval needed to implement curriculum changes according to college policies. She will also oversee the piloting of new and modified courses using current college assessment procedure.

Co-PI: Mike Reuter, Computer Technology Instructor, SCC

Mike will work to identify new course content and necessary course modifications. He will identify resources to enhance the lab experiences and create new critical thinking projects to include in course content. He will develop new course(s) and modify existing courses. A veteran, Mike will also work to connect with and recruit veterans.

Co-PI: Brian Duncan, Spartanburg School District One/NSF K-12 Cybersecurity Coordinator

Brian will recruit high schools and high school students for Cyber Patriot activities, career fairs, and summer camps and make more of these high school students aware of SCC s offerings in networking/cybersecurity. A veteran, Brian will also work to connect with and recruit veterans.

SCC Mentor: Dr. Ann Beheler

SCC received mentor Dr. Ann Beheler though the Mentor-Connect project, which is funded through the National Science Foundation's Advanced Technological Education program and formed out of Florence-Darlington Technical College s South Carolina Advanced Technological Education Center of Excellence (SC ATE): National Resource Center in Florence, SC (see Contact Information).
Dr. Beheler has been in the Information Technology industry for over 30 years, and she is now responsible for Emerging Technology grants at Collin College. In that capacity she leads the National Convergence Technology Center, a five-year $4 million National Science Foundation grant. The work of the National CTC builds on a previous four-year $4.4 million National Science Foundation grant. Ann is known for effectively bringing together business and industry using a streamlined process to identify with them the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) they predict will be needed by "right-skilled" job candidates in the future. She proved a valuable resource during SCC s grant application phase and continues to guide our work.

External Evaluator: David M. Hata

Mr. Hata has served as External Evaluator for ATE projects and centers for the past 17 years. To this task, he brings 32 years of community college teaching experience, experience as a PI and Co-PI for ATE projects, and 20 years of experience evaluating technical programs as a visitor on TAC of ABET accreditation teams. Mr. Hata uses a value-creation evaluation framework and will annually visit SCC.

For more information about SCC s grant project, please contact:

SCC: schenckm@sccsc.edu

Mentor Connect: Mentor-Connect@fdtc.edu

Updates of Grant Activities

 

2020 - In January, Mr. Josh Ruppe, a SCC graduate currently working as a penetration tester, visited students at SCC discussing cybersecurity careers.  In February, an awards program/dinner was held to recognize the Spartanburg area Cyber Patriot winners.  First place went to Spartanburg High School, second place to Daniel Morgan Technology Center and third place to Dorman High School.  Special recognition went to McCracken Middle School for advancing to the National Semifinals and to Byrnes High School for placing in the Platinum Tier of the All Service Division.  During the summer, beginner and advanced virtual Cyber Patriot camps were sponsored for the local Cyber Patriot team members.

Ms. Schenck attended the virtual Hi-Tech and ATE PI conferences.  Matt Seals and Darren Williams,  lab assistants, assisted with the maintenance of equipment and labs. 

 2019 - In February, an awards program/dinner was held to recognize the Spartanburg area Cyber Patriot winners. First place went to Spartanburg High School, second place to Swofford Career Center and third place to Dorman High School.  Special recognition was given to the middle school team from McCracken Middle School.  During the summer, beginner and advanced Cyber Patriot camps were sponsored for the local Cyber Patriot team members.   During the Fall of 2019, 11 Cyber Patriot teams competed in the national competition. 

NSA Director of Cryptology School, Ms. Janice Wethington, visited SCC in September 2019 .  She spoke with Cyber Patriot team members and SCC students  encouraging them to pursue a career in cybersecurity.     

Mr. Reuter enhanced two additional courses to incorporate cybersecurity and developed a computer forensics class.  A lab assistant, Matt Seals, assisted with the maintenance of equipment and labs during fall and spring terms.

Enrollment in the program increased 38% from Fall 2018 to Fall 2019 (Year 1 to Year 2 of the grant). 

Mr. Reuter attended the 3CS and Security Onion conferences. Ms. Schenck, Mr. Reuter and Mr. Duncan attended the ATE PI conference in October 2019. The conference brings together key people working on ATE projects across the country. ATE grant awardees participate in showcase sessions in which they share their project with other attendees. 

2018 - During the summer of 2018, Mr. Reuter, Ms. Schenck and Mr. Duncan, sponsored two summer camps for Cyber Patriot team coaches and team members. The students learned about security policies in Microsoft Windows, Linux, Cisco networking and participated in a mock competition for cyber-defense.

During fall and spring terms of the 2018-2019 academic year, Mr. Reuter enhanced two courses in the computer technology with networking/cybersecurity electives. Mr. Reuter completed training to become a certified instructor for the Cisco Cyber Ops curriculum

New Cisco routers, switches and ASAs (Adapted Security Appliance) were purchased.

Ms. Schenck talked with high school and middle school students in Spartanburg, Cherokee and Union counties about careers in cybersecurity. She also visited introductory computer classes to educate and stimulate interest in pursuing a cybersecurity career. She made presentations to area high school guidance counselors and at area career fairs concerning the grant activities. In October and November of 2018, Mr. Scott Watkins and Mr. Jesse White, local IT experts, visited classes at SCC to share industry s perspective of job opportunities, including careers in cybersecurity.

Two lab assistants, Chris Selvey and Emma Harrelson, assisted with the maintenance of equipment and labs during fall and spring terms.

In July of 2018, Ms. Schenck attended the Hi-Tec conference in Miami, Florida and participated in the Mentor-Connect workshop. As a member of Cohort 6, Ms. Schenck spoke of her experience in the program as part of a panel for Cohort 7 participants. Mr. Reuter attend the 3CS conference in August 2018.  Ms. Schenck and Mr.  Reuter attended the ATE PI conference in October 2018. The conference brings together key people working on ATE projects across the country. ATE grant awardees participate in showcase sessions in which they share their project with other attendees.