by 1LT Phil Fountain, Missouri National Guard
Several leaders of the Missouri National Guard met with the leadership of the University of Central Missouri (UCM) on Oct. 3, 2017 to formalize a cybersecurity training partnership at the university’s Missouri Innovation Campus, a satellite location in the Kansas City suburb of Lee’s Summit.
MG Steve Danner, the adjutant general of Missouri, and UCM President Charles Ambrose signed a memorandum of understanding, or MOU, that paves the way for the Missouri Guard and UCM to collaborate on a cybersecurity curriculum, officer education and the development of future cyber technicians.
MG Danner said the partnership is a win-win for the university and the Missouri National Guard.
“First of all, it will allow our Citizen-Soldiers to work with UCM in order to further their cyber education and degrees as we work together to better our Soldiers,” MG Danner said. “I think it is a great thing for the university, too. I believe the Missouri National Guard Citizen-Soldiers – both Air and Army – bring a lot with them in a student body atmosphere.”
The partnership is also expected to allow the university to tailor its cyber programs to the benefit of military needs.
“This is an opportunity to formalize some work that we’ve been talking about as mission-critical in the State of Missouri for some time,” Ambrose said. “There was a lot of effort made in the spring to really put purpose to an MOU that will allow us to demonstrate not only to the region, but to the State, that our work together can cause some great things to happen.”
The Guard leaders were also given a tour of the new facility and briefed by Anshuman Singh, an assistant professor of computer science and the coordinator of UCM’s academic cybersecurity program. Singh said the Missouri National Guard has an important role in protecting the State’s infrastructure and assets while also providing a connection to the business community.
Among the Missouri National Guard leaders on hand was COL Denise L. Wilkinson, the Missouri Guard’s director of information management. She said the relationship with UCM and the facility should yield greater partnerships between the Missouri National Guard and civilian agencies while benefiting students.
“[They] are providing a progressive student experience where students are eager to learn in the innovative and creative environment that the Missouri Innovation Campus provides,” COL Wilkinson said. “It allows for creative hands-on learning with the most sophisticated and flexible information technology and cyber tools.
“This partnership will benefit the future growth of the Missouri National Guard, specifically in the IT/cyber community, and will provide our Soldiers and Airmen a higher education at a minimal cost.”
MG Danner said the program not only will benefit Guard members, but also private sector businesses with similar cybersecurity needs, as most Guard members have full-time civilian occupations.
UCM is making the path to higher education easier for those serving in the National Guard. The university is implementing accelerated degree paths for Guard students as well as reducing tuition and fee costs not covered by Missouri’s State tuition assistance program or federal G.I. Bill benefits, MG Danner said.
The Missouri Innovation Campus opened last fall and is a joint initiative of UCM and the Lee’s Summit R-7 School District. It places high school and college students under one roof and offers programs that allow students to accelerate completion of their degrees with little or no debt.
