Davenport Gets IT Security Grant

GRAND RAPIDS — DavenportUniversity‘s one-year-old IT security program got a boost earlier this month with a Cisco Systems Inc. donation of $240,000 in equipment at eight campuses in Michigan and Indiana

Since its inception, Davenport‘s IT security program has grown to become one of the largest providers of security education in the country and is the largest in Michigan. Davenport is one of the largest educators of Cisco teachers for the Cisco Networking Academy Program, instructing them to train future networking students.

The state-of-the-art equipment, which includes firewalls, wireless networking devices, routers and intrusion detection systems, will provide students with hands-on, real-world experience. The equipment will be installed in the university’s eight networking labs across the state, including Midland, Grand Rapids, Warren, Lansing, Merrillville, Kalamazoo, Dearborn and Caro.

“A donation of this size and scope is not common,” said Reid Gough, dean of Davenport‘s school of technology. “This will help Davenport continue to be a leader in IT security education. Being recognized by an industry leader for having an outstanding academic program is significant affirmation of the university’s focus on quality education.”

The equipment will be disbursed over the eight campuses using a phased approach, with each campus receiving $30,000 worth of materials. Students are already using the equipment at the Midland, Grand Rapids and Warren campuses, which received their donations in the spring.

The additional campuses are scheduled to receive their equipment in August, November and February.

The grant was funded by Cisco’s Critical Infrastructure Assurance Group, which was created in response to President Bush’s call to protect the nation’s infrastructure.