The Department of War’s Cyber Academic Engagement Office announces five finalists in the Aligned Skills Curriculum and Experiential Network Design Framework (ASCEND) Initiative:

• The University of Maine at Augusta

• Anderson University

• University of Wisconsin-Stout

• North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

• San Jose State University

The five finalists will defend their proposals on May 1st during the final day of the CAE-C Symposium in Pittsburgh. In the style of “Shark Tank,” mentors will select three finalists whom they would like to mentor through a grant-making proposal, and three winners will receive $1000 each. ASCEND is designed to innovate cyber curricula across the country and spur specific educational models pertaining to AI. The CAEO received over 60 applications and the selection panel, which consisted of

• Ms. Wistar Hardison, Chief of the Cyber Workforce Integration Division, Workforce Innovation Directorate, Department of War Office of the Chief Information Officer

• Mr. Scott Nelson, Acting Principal Director, Cyber Academic Engagement Office, Workforce Innovation Directorate, Department of War Office of the Chief Information Officer

• Mr. CJ Macaig, VICEROY National Director, Director of Cyber-Spectrum Academic Engagement

• Mr. Robert Leverton, Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer AI Technical Director, US CYBERCOM 

– enjoyed the opportunity to engage with each proposal. The proposals brought different strengths and demonstrated the tremendous capacity among participants, and after much deliberation, the panel decided the five finalists most successfully met the desired rubric.

Congratulations to all who entered this competition!

Register for the showcase here

View the agenda here