(WNY News Now) Through her new Cyber Service Academy scholarship program, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is giving University at Buffalo students the opportunity to pursue in-demand cybersecurity employment.
AMHERST, N.Y.—In support of the DoD Cyber Service Academy scholarship program, which offers full college tuition in exchange for public service in the Department of Defense (DoD) or the Intelligence Community (IC), U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand joined educators and elected officials to encourage University at Buffalo students to apply. For each year of their scholarship, successful applicants will work as civilian employees for one year in the DoD or the IC.
As one of 24 New York universities designated as National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity, the University at Buffalo is eligible to host students via the program. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Gillibrand established the Cyber Service Academy scholarship program. It is more important than ever for the United States to establish a pipeline for a skilled, highly qualified cyber workforce, as there are currently close to 30,000 open DoD cyber posts.
There is a serious lack of personnel in our nation to defend the United States against enemies like Russia because of the thousands of empty DoD cyber posts. To help address these issues and provide our young people with a route to well-paying positions in government, I created the Cyber Service Academy scholarship program, said Senator Gillibrand.By providing one year of free college for each year of subsequent public service, this initiative will build a pipeline for a skilled, highly qualified cyber workforce. I urge students to apply, receive free tuition, and serve our wonderful country at the University at Buffalo, a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity.
According to University at Buffalo President Satish K. Tripathi, “I would like to thank Senator Gillibrand on behalf of the University at Buffalo’s scholarly community for creating opportunities that encourage students to pursue higher education and opening rewarding career pathways to them.”We value the Senator’s dedication to assisting the upcoming generation of cyber-security professionals in making a significant contribution to society and changing the world, as our university is committed to using our education, research, and scholarship for the benefit of the public.
Kemper Lewis, dean of the University at Buffalo School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, stated that the school is thrilled to collaborate with Senator Gillibrand and her creative Cyber Service Academy scholarship initiative.Our multi-decade designations as National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Research and Cyber Defense demonstrate that UB is ideally positioned to support this collaborative effort as a leading leader in cybersecurity teaching and research. We are uniquely positioned to influence our country’s defense capabilities and develop our next-generation workforce across numerous industrial and technology sectors, resulting in a safer future, thanks to our collaboration with Senator Gillibrand and the UB School of Management.
According to Ananth Iyer, dean of the University at Buffalo School of Management, cybersecurity is a widespread concern that jeopardizes national security and impacts all organizations, regardless of size. “A single weak link can expose our data and create vulnerabilities,” he stated.Organizations must have a cybersecurity plan in place to safeguard their digital assets, just as we lock doors and set alarms to safeguard our tangible assets. With our colleagues at the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, we provide courses that teach students how to effectively handle cybersecurity. We appreciate Senator Gillibrand’s support of cybersecurity education, and we want to keep expanding our initiatives going forward to guarantee cyber resiliency.
Effective cybersecurity relies heavily on collaborations. Our partnerships with UB Partners, including the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, our Center of Excellence in Information Systems Assurance Research and Education (CEISARE), and our hour NSF CyberCorp programs, have enabled us to offer a number of thorough and comprehensive cybersecurity programs as we work to prepare the next generation of cyber defenders. However, Kevin Cleary, a professor at the University at Buffalo School of Management, stated that our collaborations cannot end in the classroom.For our programs to continue to be successful, community and elected official support is essential. Our elected officials’ political backing not only helps enact sensible legislation to safeguard American citizens’ privacy, but it also helps give students tangible assistance as they prepare to enter a cyber danger landscape that will look quite different tomorrow than it does now. Having Senator Gillibrand on my side in our constantly changing cyberwarfare makes me proud.
Scholarships offered by the Cyber Service Academy consist of:
- A scholarship covering the full cost of tuition, select books and fees, a stipend for room and board, purchase of a laptop, and more;
- Areas of study including cybersecurity, cyber operations, digital and multimedia forensics, computer crime investigations, and more;
- A service commitment for a period equivalent to the length of a recipient s scholarship that starts after graduation;
- Opportunities to serve throughout the DoD and the Intelligence Community.
To apply for the DoD Cyber Scholarship Program, interested students should visit www.gillibrand.senate.gov/cyberacademy and click on the link. As the DoD continues to improve its application procedure, this website will be updated. The deadline to apply for the 2025–2026 school year is February 1, 2025.
