Virginia’s cyber security capabilities span the Commonwealth, and one such hub is located around James Madison University (JMU) in the Shenandoah Valley Region.

With an information security program that began in 1999, JMU’s Computer Information Systems (CIS) program was ranked 9th among all Information Systems programs by Bloomberg Businessweek in 2012.

JMU prepares students for cyber security careers with an impressive offering of undergraduate and graduate programs that allow students to earn National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security certificates along the way. Employers are taking notice—JMU graduates are being snapped up by marquee IT and consulting firms, including IBM, CGI, Accenture, Deloitte, KPMG, PWC, as well as a number of government agencies.

One of the more unique aspects of the CIS programs at JMU is the level of engagement among students and the community. 

On campus, JMU students participate in student clubs that compete nationally, such as the Computer Forensics Group and the Cyber Defense Club. In addition, the JMU Association of Information Technology Professionals (AITP) Student Chapter is the largest AITP student chapter in the U.S. AITP is the leading worldwide society of professionals in the IT industry.

JMU also engages the community through Cyber Defense Boot Camp, a summer program for high school technology teachers, and CyberCity, a program introducing disadvantaged high school students to careers in the CIS field.

Home to the Institute for Infrastructure and Information Assurance, JMU has partnered with George Mason University, the University of Virginia, and other public and private sector institutions on more than 60 research projects in the information security field.

With Virginia universities at the forefront of cyber security research and education, the Commonwealth’s workforce is well-positioned to maintain its top ranking with the highest concentration of high-tech workers, according to Cyberstates 2011.

To learn more about Virginia’s world-class IT and cyber security capabilities across the Commonwealth, click here.

Continuing our series on University-Based Economic Development, we will look at how James Madison University’s (JMU) Virginia Center for Wind Energy (VCWE) keeps industry professionals educated on wind power developments in Virginia.

Located in a 4,000-square-foot commercial lab space near JMU’s main campus, the center has been active since 2001. VCWE provides measurements, economic modeling, education, energy policy analysis and GIS reports on wind energy in the Commonwealth.

VCWE recently hosted the 2012 Statewide Wind Energy Symposium, which included panel discussions and workshops ranging from Wind 101 to Regulatory and Permitting Options. The 150 attendees included government officials, wind industry decision-makers, business owners and Virginia residents.

During the symposium VCWE launched its Small Wind Training & Testing Facility, which will be used primarily for workforce training in the small wind industry. Small wind is traditionally defined as turbines below 100 kilowatts (kW) with most residential turbines under 20 kW. Through the center students will have access to three wind turbines, a WeatherBug weather station, a solar array system and additional measurement equipment.

Uncertainty still surrounds the national production tax credit, and locally, many cities do not have wind ordinances in place, making education the critical mandate for VCWE.

“The Small Wind Training and Testing Facility was designed to address a lack of available resources in the region to support the training of a small wind workforce throughout Virginia and beyond. This resource will support teaching of undergraduates at JMU and other educational institutions throughout the Commonwealth, as well as the training of residents and business owners who seek to learn more about how to apply wind energy in Virginia,” said Dr. Jonathan Miles, VCWE Director.

Fortunately Virginia has a compelling wind story with its shallow waters, strong Class 6 winds, high voltage transmission grid, and maritime workforce. To learn more JMU’s Virginia Center for Wind Energy, click here.

Dr. Jonathan Miles, VCWE Director, addresses the crowd at the JMU Small Wind Training & Testing Facility ribbon-cutting ceremony.