Hello, my name is Jack Suess and I serve as the Vice President of Information Technology & CIO of UMBC. I also have the honor of serving as the Director for the Maryland Institute for Innovative Computing (MIIC).
UMBC is proud to be recognized as Carnegie Community Engaged university, a recognition bestowed on only sixty-seven other institutions. MIIC provides a way for those of involved in technology to help state and local government effectively and safely utilize technology in supporting the citizens of Maryland. In the first two years of existence, we have helped support three activities that you can explore in more detail on the web site. These activities fall into workforce development, cybersecurity, and using data analytics to inform policy and practice.
I’m particularly proud of the efforts we have made in the last year to support cybersecurity education in Maryland. With funding from the Maryland legislature that started on July 1, 2022. MIIC worked closely with our counterparts at the University System of Maryland (USM) that are working on advancing computer science education in our K-12 districts. MIIC, in a partnership with Virginia Tech university is now able to offer access to the U.S. Cyber Range for hands-on exercises when teaching computer security courses. In the first year, sixteen k-12 districts and six community colleges are using this system to give students practical knowledge in computer security. Please visit the Cybersecurity tab for more information and resources.
The other activity I’m particularly proud of is the great work that our UMBC Career Services department has done with the MIIC internship program. This program provides college students with paid opportunities to work for the state of Maryland. We have placed interns in the Maryland Department of Health, Maryland Department of Information Technology, Maryland Department of Transportation, and Maryland Health and Human Services. A few students have now taken full-time jobs in these agencies where they are applying their education and talents to serve our citizens.