Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin has announced a $1 million grant to establish a cybersecurity research and education center at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
“When it comes to cybersecurity, we are only as strong as our weakest link,” Attorney General Griffin said. “UA Little Rock is providing a shield and sword for Arkansans as one of the nation’s top cybersecurity programs. Its faculty is focused on providing real-world knowledge to its students. The CORE Center will enhance the program’s ability to produce well-prepared students who will, in turn, protect our citizens and their businesses, and join the fight against foreign and domestic adversaries in cyberspace.”
UA Little Rock, a recognized leader in cybersecurity education, will use the funding from the Office of the Attorney General to establish the Cyberspace Operations Research and Education (CORE) Center, which will enhance research opportunities and support the development of Arkansas’s future cybersecurity workforce.
“The support we are receiving from the Attorney General’s office is an investment in the future of Arkansas,” UA Little Rock Provost Ann Bain said. “This funding empowers UA Little Rock to remain a leader, ensuring that we can continue to innovate, educate, and develop the skilled professionals Arkansas businesses need in the face of rising cyber threats. Together, we’re building a cybersecurity workforce that will protect and strengthen Arkansas from within.”
The funding will be used to design and renovate a space of more than 5,000 square feet within the Engineering and Information Technology Building that will house the CORE Center, providing a secure space for students and faculty to collaborate on sensitive projects in partnership with community leaders, law enforcement, and industry mentors.
Additionally, the funding will pay for the salary of an operations coordinator and a finance director for the CORE Center for two years. UA Little Rock’s cybersecurity program currently manages more than $5 million in annual grant funds. The addition of these two positions will allow UA Little Rock to secure new grants, onboard new students, and provide valuable service-learning experiences through initiatives like the cybersecurity clinic that will allow faculty, law enforcement, and industry mentors to work together to provide students with hands-on experience that will also serve the community.
“We are deeply grateful to Attorney General Tim Griffin for this significant investment,” said Dr. Philip Huff, associate professor of cybersecurity at UA Little Rock. “This funding enables us to establish a dedicated, secure space that provides students with hands-on learning opportunities, protects our communities, and enhances the educational experience at UA Little Rock and our university and community college partners across Arkansas. Through this support, we will help make Arkansas safer and foster meaningful, long-lasting careers that contribute to the protection of our nation and its critical infrastructure.”
The UA Little Rock Cybersecurity program is recognized as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C) with a Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) designation and is a member of the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics to support community needs in cybersecurity. The program supports collaboration with community colleges and partners across Arkansas, particularly focusing on minority and underrepresented student populations.
UA Little Rock also serves as the hub for the National Cyber Teaching Coalition, which has prepared more than 100 high school teachers to instruct cybersecurity and artificial intelligence courses in concurrent credit high school courses. UA Little Rock has plans to expand that initiative with a goal to provide this training for teachers in every school district throughout the state.
“Cybersecurity has become an indispensable part of our national infrastructure, and UA Little Rock is committed to leading in this field. In recent years, UA Little Rock has also become a hub for high-impact research in cybersecurity,” Huff said. “For example, through support from multiple grants, our research addresses critical needs such as protecting the energy sector’s infrastructure, utilizing advanced AI and cryptographic techniques to secure critical systems. Over the past few years, our program has expanded to meet the growing demand for cyber expertise across Arkansas. Today, we have over 100 students majoring in cybersecurity, with our graduates filling critical roles across local businesses and industries.”