- Lou Von Thaer, President of General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems
General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems will collaborate with Virginia Tech as an affiliate of the newest Security and Software Engineering Research Center (S2ERC), founded with assistance from the National Science Foundation (NSF). General Dynamics is a leading provider of cyber security solutions to the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security and Defense. The NSF developed the S2ERC program 25 years ago as the Industry & University Cooperative Research Center (I/UCRC) program devoted to software engineering and newly re-chartered the center with an additional spotlight on security measures.
“It is vital to America’s security that industry remains a prominent contributor in the education and training of our future cyber leaders,” said Lou Von Thaer, President of General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems. “The strides we take in cyber security benefit not only industry, but protect our national security as well. That is why we are committed to helping Virginia Tech create and sustain this center as a nexus for collaborative cyber security research.”
With a five-year contract by the NSF to sustain the center, Virginia Tech welcomes the participation of industry and academia. This site is the third primary S2ERC site in the United States, aside from the locations at Iowa State University Tech and Ball State University.The NSF I/UCRC programs allows colleges and universities to influence research and development investments with multi-university centers renowned for innovative research capabilities. These institutions accomplish industrially relevant research, receive seed funding and recognition as a NSF research center with permission to access professional resources and guidance targeted towards boosting global competitiveness.
“Partnering with one of the leading engineering institutions in the country, we expect this center for cyber research to improve our customers’ mission capability and strengthen their defenses on the Internet,” said John Jolly, Vice President and General Manager of General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems’ Cyber Systems division. “Joining this research initiative with Virginia Tech allows us to collaborate with some of the brightest minds in the country to leverage our experience defending government networks and investigating sophisticated network breaches, to drive innovation for our customers.”