UNCOMN Partners with Webster University, Sponsors Cyber Lab
October 05, 2023
In front of the newly opened UNCOMN Cybersecurity Center: Dean of the Walker School of Business and Technology Simone Cummings, Webster University President Julian Schuster, UNCOMN CEO Jason Carter, Webster University Chancellor Beth Stroble, UNCOMN Chief Information Systems Officer Cory Phipps, and Webster University Information Technology and Cybersecurity Program Director Jim Curtis.
Webster University’s former Cyber Lab, which serves as an exclusive venue for collaboration
among cybersecurity students, faculty, and staff, reopened today under a new name
with the sponsorship of UNCOMN, a local agency providing business-to-business management and technology consulting
services.
The UNCOMN Cybersecurity Center formally opened during a ribbon-cutting ceremony held
on Oct. 5 in Webster University’s East Academic Building. Simone Cummings, dean of
the Walker School of Business and Technology, along with UNCOMN CEO Jason Carter,
UNCOMN Chief Information Systems Officer Cory Phipps, and Jim Curtis, Webster University
information technology and cybersecurity program director, shared remarks at the grand
opening. Webster University Chancellor Beth Stroble and President Julian Schuster
also shared a few words.
Through this five-year collaboration, Webster University and UNCOMN will develop the
IT and cybersecurity specialists of tomorrow while illustrating the challenging and
exciting opportunities of today’s dynamic industry.
“The partnership with UNCOMN is a perfect fit for Webster University because the leadership team at UNCOMN is committed to growing IT disciplines, especially cybersecurity, through mentoring, internships, sponsorships, and other interactive engagements for students,” said Curtis. “And, with UNCOMN’s federal IT core business, it opens new avenues to which many of our students do not have any exposure. Webster University is committed to expanding the breadth of opportunities for our STEM students, and UNCOMN is a great partner for this.”
Cybersecurity Program Director Jim Curtis gives opening remarks while Cummings and Phipps look on.
Event attendees line the hall.
Webster University’s cybersecurity program places a heightened focus on the real-world
application of its curriculum. Rather than teaching from the textbook, the program
uses hands-on labs and exercises. The collaboration with UNCOMN expands the practical
opportunities available to Webster cybersecurity students – giving them a chance to
practice their skills in a real-world setting.
“We are very particular about what we teach, and the way we teach,” said Cummings,
when speaking to Webster's cybersecurity program. “We want students to be engaged with the curriculum and able to apply the curriculum.
What students learn in the classroom they can then apply the next day out in the field.”
Webster University previously partnered with UNCOMN (at the time Aegis Strategies)
in 2015 to open the Midwest Cyber Center, now known as CyberUP, located just outside of Scott Air Force Base. CyberUP provides nontraditional pathways
to careers in cybersecurity, specifically for minorities, veterans, and job transferees.
The University’s 2023 partnership with UNCOMN strives to prepare the next generation
of cybersecurity experts by connecting Webster undergraduates with the same resources
and connections offered at CyberUp. Through firsthand exposure to industry scenarios
and the opportunity to network with current professionals, cybersecurity students
at Webster will be thoroughly prepared for what comes post-graduation.
President Schuster, Chancellor Stroble, and UNCOMN CEO Jason Carter officially open the UNCOMN Cybersecurity Center.