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U.S. Bank presents cybersecurity scholarships to NKU students, extends partnership for three years


U.S. Bank continues its support of Northern Kentucky University’s nationally-known cybersecurity program by presenting the recipients of this year’s U.S. Bank Cybersecurity Scholarships. U.S. Bank and NKU also announced a three-year partnership to extend the scholarship program.
 
Senior leaders from U.S. Bank and NKU awarded the scholarships to three students at an event Monday afternoon. This is the second year for the scholarship program which supports high-achieving cybersecurity students in NKU’s College of Informatics.
 
“At U.S. Bank, we seek to earn the trust of our customers every day and it starts with ensuring their information is safe and secure,” said Jason Witty, U.S. Bank Executive Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer. “Cyberscurity is at the heart of keeping our customers, employees and communities protected from attacks. In order to maintain that safety, we need smart, well-trained cybersecurity experts to lead the way. That is why we are once again excited to partner with NKU to empower our next generation of cybersecurity students.”

US Bank cyber scholarships


 
The recipients of this year’s U.S. Bank Cybersecurity Scholarships are Justin Widanski, a sophomore Computer Science major and Information Security minor; Chinedu Asinugo, a sophomore Computer Information Technology major and Computer Forensics minor; and James Lingrosso, a senior Computer Information Technology major in the Network and System Administration track / Information Security minor & Information Systems minor. 
 
All three students share an avid interest in cybersecurity. Widanski is described as “one of the key members in the cyber defense team, a quick learner and very passionate on security.”

Asinugo is from Nigeria and noted on his scholarship application how his home country is “behind in the world of technology despite our vast resources.” He aspires to gain experience from an established company and then hopes to one day own a software development and cyber-security company of his own. A recommendation letter for Lingrosso noted that “he is an outstanding student in all respects and has proved that through hard work, follow through and team work, he can accomplish tasks in a courteous and timely manner.”

US Bank scholarship recipients

“NKU began building out cybersecurity education over a decade ago, but the scale and urgency of the need for such talent remains overwhelming,” Dr. Kevin Kirby, Dean of the College of Informatics said.

“From our nationally-placed Cyber Defense Team to our graduate courses in secure software engineering, we are working to make the online world more secure. U.S. Bank has been a forward-thinking ally in this and we are grateful that they have once again invested in these students and look forward to our continued partnership.”
 
In January 2015, NKU became the first university in Greater Cincinnati to be designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance/Cyber Defense (CAE IA/CD) by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security.

The designation identifies NKU’s cybersecurity program as a top-tier program in the nation and makes NKU eligible for special research grants and scholarships. NKU’s Center for Information Security is housed in the College of Informatics; initiatives include the Cyber Defense Team as well as an annual Cybersecurity Symposium held each year in October since 2008.


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