Laboratory, NNSA and Northern New Mexico College establish new Center for Information Technology and Cybersecurity

Collaboration creates the region’s first cybersecurity education program

September 25, 2024

Placeholder Image — Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Crossroads supercomputer is in a room roughly the size of a football field. At the Laboratory, more than 1,200 employees work with supercomputers or in another aspect of computing — all of which require cybersecurity professionals to keep operations running.

Los Alamos National Laboratory, the National Nuclear Security Administration and Northern New Mexico College are joining forces to develop a new cybersecurity training center through the Lab’s Mentor-Protégé Program, a business-development initiative designed to support area businesses as they expand their capabilities. The college holds the distinction of being the first minority-serving higher education institution to participate as a protégé in the U.S. Department of Energy program.

As a result of one-time funding provided by the NNSA’s Pipeline Development Program, Northern will receive $376,675 to begin work on moving the project forward. The funding will primarily provide resources for a faculty director position as well as software, hardware and outreach activities. The resulting Center for Information Technology and Cybersecurity will train students for in-demand careers nationwide and at the Laboratory. The collaboration’s first-year aims are to establish a space, budget and curriculum.

The partners anticipate that courses will be offered at the new center beginning fall 2025, for four-year degrees as well as professional development.

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