News Release Archive | Awards

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 13, 2002

LIVERMORE, Calif. — College students seeking academic instruction that could help the U.S. win the war on terrorism will soon have an opportunity to learn from the best and the brightest‹and earn a Masters of Science Degree in National Security and Public Safety to boot.

The University of New Haven is offering the graduate program, with weekend and evening classes scheduled to begin in January. Sandia National Laboratories’ California site, based in Livermore, is the “host facility,” and several members of Sandia¹s technical staff will be among those faculty members teaching specialized courses in the program. The program will be open to U.S. citizens holding a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution.

“Our University feels quite privileged to be affiliated with one of our nation’s premiere laboratories, as it provides a unique opportunity to work with scientists who share our interest in National Security,” said Dr. Thomas Johnson, Dean and Director of the University’s School of Public Safety & Professional Studies in New Haven. “Our graduate concentration in Information Protection and Security, with research issues related to cyberterrorism and issues related to cyber-intelligence, will be enhanced by our ability to work with Sandia scientists, who are among the best in the world.”

The strategic collaboration between UNH and Sandia National Laboratory, said Dr. Johnson, will permit greater attention upon issues directly related to the nation’s focus on homeland security.

“The challenge of preparing the next generation of security experts and leaders cannot be accomplished by universities solely relying on traditional educational methods,” he said. “We believe the richness of our campus location within Sandia National Laboratories — as well as the structured format for teamwork between our faculty, Sandia scientists, and members of the corporate community — will provide an environment for exchange of ideas and the critical assessment of theories fundamental to the graduate study of National Security and Public Safety.”

The pool of potential students for the program, said Dr. Johnson, may include current government workers who may already be involved in homeland security issues, those in the commercial sector — including government contractors or those who do business with the government — and “pre-service” college graduates who may be looking for guidance and learning opportunities that will lead them into national service.

“We anticipate mid-career professionals joining our program, thus enriching the academic environment by the wealth of their experience and insights,” Dr. Johnson said. “Our National Security program aspires to produce graduates who will work within agencies comprising our intelligence community, as well as other National Security and Department of Defense entities.” Dr. Johnson also indicated that joint research opportunities between Sandia and UNH could emerge in the future.

The program, which requires 36 credit hours, is designed to provide students with an understanding of the fundamental principles of the legal charter, presidential executive orders, and the framework which guides the operation of national security agencies. Students will also analyze the role and function of the U.S. agencies comprising the intelligence community, focusing largely on information protection and security. Required courses include:

• Securing National Security Information Systems

• Contemporary Issues in National Security Programs

• Firewalls and Secure Enterprise Computing

• Internet and Audit Based Computer Forensics

• Computer Viruses and Malicious Code

• Introduction to Practical Issues in Cryptography

• National Security World & National Threat Modeling

• National Security Charter, Legal Issues & Executive Orders

Faculty members include (in alphabetical order):

• Mr. Gary Blair, Adjunct Faculty. Mr. Blair is a Senior Member of the Technical Staff at Sandia National Laboratories.

• Dr. Fred Cohen, Adjunct Faculty. Dr. Cohen is a Principle Member of the Technical Staff in Sandia¹s Computer Security division and spearheaded the lab¹s highly successful ³College Cyber Defenders program.

• Mr. Matt Donlon, Counselor (staff). Mr. Donlon is a former Director of Security for NASA and retired from the Central Intelligence Agency.

• Honorable Tom Getty, Distinguished Special Lecturer. Honorable Tom Getty is currently Executive Director of the U.S. State¹s Attorney General¹s office and former Deputy Attorney General, State of California, who has argued cases before the U.S. Supreme Court.

• Dr. John Howard, Adjunct Faculty. Dr. Howard is a Senior Member of the Technical Staff, Security and Networking Research group, at Sandia National Laboratories.

• Dr. Ron Krutz, Distinguished Special Lecturer. Dr. Krutz, former Director of the Carnegie Melon Research Institute, is a professor in the Carnegie Melon University Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Dr. Krutz founded the Carnegie Melon Cyber Security Center.

• Justice Fred Morrison, Distinguished Special Lecturer. Honorable Fred Morrison is currently an Associate Justice with the California Appellate Court.

• Justice George Nicholson, Distinguished Special Lecturer. Honorable George Nicholson is currently an Associate Justice with the California Appellate Court.

• Mr. Bill Spernow, Distinguished Special Lecturer. Mr. Spernow is the former Chief Cyber Investigator for Fidelity Investments Corporation and the Gartner Group.

• Mr. John Tippit, Administrative Coordinator. Mr. Tippit is a National Security Specialist who has been engaged by a variety of Department of Defense intelligence agencies in a career that has extended more than 25 years.

• Mr. Lewis Vasquez, Adjunct Faculty. Mr. Vasquez is a former investigator for the U.S. Department of Army on intelligence related assignments.

• Mr. Ken Watson, Adjunct Faculty. Currently an executive with CISCO Networking Systems, Mr. Watson is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, where he retired with the rank of lieutenant colonel. During his last USMC assignment, his responsibilities included refining and evaluating Marine Corps requirements regarding information warfare and its implementation on the battlefield via command and control warfare.

The University is also offering a Graduate Certificate for students who may not be ready to commit to a full-length graduate program, or for those who already hold a master’s degree but wish to pursue additional work in the area of National Security. Application for the Graduate Certificate requires Dean’s approval and completion of four courses: National Security Programs (NSP) Architecture and Mission; NSP Personnel Security Programs; Securing National Security Information Systems; and Integrated Studies in Safeguards and Countermeasure Designs.

The University of New Haven is a private, independent, non-profit, non-sectarian comprehensive university based in southern New England, and chartered by the General Assembly of the State of Connecticut, specializing in quality education opportunities. The Graduate School focuses on addressing student’s needs for efficient acquisition of career-oriented credentials for advancement at the workplace. Those interested in learning more about the Master of Science Degree in National Security and Public Safety should visit www.unhca.com.

Sandia is a multiprogram laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin Company, for the United States Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000. With main facilities in Albuquerque, N.M., and Livermore, Calif., Sandia has major research and development responsibilities in national security, energy and environmental technologies, and economic competitiveness.

Sandia Media Relations contact: Mike Janes, mejanes@sandia.gov, (925) 294-2447