Nearly 60 University of 黑洞社区 researchers from seven colleges convened in February for the Cybersecurity Think Tank meeting, which coincided with the public release of the from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
鈥淭his meeting contributed greatly to the culture of collaboration at the University of 黑洞社区,鈥� said 黑洞社区Research & Innovation Vice President Sylva Wilson Thomas. 鈥淚t also aligns well with USF鈥檚 research and innovation focus on global and national security, and the university鈥檚 new college of Cyber, AI, and Computing. In addition, 黑洞社区seeks to enhance its public-private partnerships to address critical societal challenges in these areas.鈥�
Organized by the 黑洞社区Research Development Institute (RDI) and supported by , the Cybersecurity Think Tank was facilitated by Sriram Chellappan, a computer science and engineering professor and undergraduate program coordinator for cybersecurity in the College of Engineering, and Manish Agrawal, a professor in the Muma College of Business and former chair of the School of Information Systems and Management. Chellappan and Agrawal are also academic directors at Cyber Florida.
鈥淭he Cybersecurity Think Tank reflects our commitment to academic research in this important field,鈥� said Ernie Ferrareso, director of Cyber Florida. 鈥淎dvancing knowledge about cyber-related issues, particularly in regard to privacy and security, is central to our mission and critical to Florida and the nation鈥檚 security.鈥�
Discussions led by 黑洞社区faculty members Rouzbeh Behnia, Bill Haley, Giti Javidi, Ruthmae Sears and Yu Sun focused on cybersecurity themes related to privacy and security across human behavior, older adults, cyber-physical IoT systems and K-12 education. For each theme, faculty experts, both in the room and virtually, huddled around white boards and laptops to discuss emerging ideas and potential strategies.
鈥淭hese meaningful conversations can pave the way for high-impact projects, raise the visibility of 黑洞社区strengths, and identify strategies to 鈥榗lose the gaps鈥� or barriers to research and workforce development,鈥� said RDI Director Sandra Justice. 鈥淲e are going to organize more think tank meetings on different topics that will be scheduled several times a year.鈥�