Huntington, West Virginia — Marshall University is preparing to welcome the first executive director of its Cybersecurity Institute.
Dr. Henry Collier was appointed to the position. He will start his job on July 15th.
Collier, who is currently director of the technology program at Norwich University's College of Graduate and Continuing Studies, told Metro News that he plans to use his more than 30 years of experience in cybersecurity to inspire students to pursue careers in the industry. .
“I have some visions that I really want to pursue. I'm going to sit down with the faculty and staff there and see how we can align our aspirations and goals to make this the best cyber institute on the East Coast. “I would like to consider it,” he said.
Last year, the state Legislature approved funding for Marshall to build a cybersecurity center in Huntington, the second on a U.S. college campus, with a groundbreaking ceremony expected later this summer. Construction will take approximately two years to complete.
Students will be able to appreciate different aspects of cyber, Collier said.
“We want our students to be able to experience multiple paths in the cyber field so that they can make the career choice that best suits their aspirations. Not every student can become a computer forensic analyst.” He said.
Collier also wants to expand classified research opportunities for students.
“Graduate-level, master's, and doctoral students, the researchers we have been able to obtain permission for may be able to conduct classified research in collaboration with several agencies within the Department of Defense, and “It's a great opportunity for us to compete with universities like MIT, Carnegie Mellon and Johns Hopkins,” he said.
Mr. Collier is a six-year active duty veteran and currently holds the rank of Chief Warrant Officer 3 in the Army Reserve, with 27 years of active service. He said his background as a military officer will serve him well in his new role.
“Having these relationships will definitely help me because I can speak openly, just like when I'm in the military. There's a lot of jargon, abbreviations, acronyms, “If you're new to it, you're going to go into the conversation wondering what you're talking about,” he said.
Prior to arriving at Norwich University, Mr. Collier served as program director for Computer Technology and Cybersecurity & Healthcare IT at River Valley Community College, where he revitalized the Cisco Networking Academy and led the development of the Cybersecurity & Healthcare IT program. Managed National Science Foundation Advanced Technology Education Grants.
Collier has a Ph.D. in Engineering with a focus on security from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, a Master's degree in Management of Innovation and Information Technology from Champlain College, and a Master's degree in Information Technology with a focus on Systems Analysis and Design from Granite State University. holds a bachelor's degree. She earned an associate's degree in computer technology from River Valley Community College.
Dr. Abvinandan “Avi” Mukherjee, Marshall President and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, said there is a strong pool of applicants. But Collier stood out because of his unique experience.
“While each of the finalists proved uniquely qualified, Dr. Collier emerged as the most qualified candidate to steward Marshall's excellence in cybersecurity,” Mukherjee said in a statement.
