WEBVTT
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we need you to start a cybersecurity program.
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We have a lot of money, we want to start a program in Louisiana at our university.
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Are you interested?" I personally developed the courses.
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I worked at, you know, during the day, I worked at night, I worked at weekends to get those courses developed because there was no other expectation.
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There Welcome back to the Engaged by Design podcast, to the final part of our discussion with Dr.
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Ken Williams.
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Today, we explore what it takes to build a cybersecurity program from scratch, develop faculty and students, and create a lasting impact on higher education and on the workforce So let's get back to the conversation with Vernon and Ken
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Ken, talk a little bit about your current position and some of the things you're doing.
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T- t- talk about that a little bit
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Thanks a lot, Vernon.
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So while I was out at Quantico in the Marine, at the Cyber Academy, as I was developing that, community relationship with the Marine Corps Systems Command, all of the defense industrial base individuals that there, in that area, and we were promoting the academy, et cetera, we had these professional, events, speaking events that we talked about things like cybersecurity maturity model, CMMC.
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Oh, by the way, that's one that you give me permission to a- advise,
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mhm
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academic, uh, engagement for the cyber CMMC project.
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So we were promoting all of these initiatives in cyber at that point, and I was a keynote speaker, when, I was approached by the chancellor of Southern University at Baton Rouge and I don't know how he was invited or how that delegation was invited to come up there, to sit in the audience to listen to me talk about cybersecurity.
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But
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N- uh, some interesting, uh, steps coming together, not just
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Yeah.
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yeah
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So, upon conclusion, you know, they approached me and they said-- introduced themselves, and they said they would like to talk to me some more because they need this kind of expertise in Louisiana.
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And I'm like,"Okay, this is really interesting.
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This is very, very interesting.
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Okay, fine.
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Here's my card," et cetera.
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let's keep in touch." Well, fast-forward about a year later, I get this phone call.
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"Ken, Dr.
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Williams, we need you to start a cybersecurity program.
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We have a lot of money, close to a million dollars.
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We want to start a program in Louisiana at our university.
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Are you interested?" And that was about the time that I was, you know, I was starting to get the academy up and running.
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I was starting to also think about turning the academy into a certified pathway because we, we didn't-- we couldn't take tuition assistance, and I thought I needed to go from a, an academy to a fully-fledged university.
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So I was explaining-- I was exploring that thing.
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And then, in my head, I've already gone through this process of working at a higher level.
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And oh, by the way, thank you for allowing me to be an executive director of the Center for Academic Excellence.
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Introducing me to those,
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You were the one that came up with that idea, and you were the, my executive director for cybersecurity and c- c- uh, CAE.
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All that effort, you were doing it because, precisely because of your background and because
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Thank you.
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as a service.
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Yeah.
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But you had that experience, so you took that experience and you said,"Hey, you know what?
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I've, I, I've done this before," I'm sure is
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That's right.
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That's right.
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That's right.
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So with added experience of exploring or starting university and setting up an academy, and having the experience of, of standing up and, shaping a cyber curriculum, I said,"Yeah, why not?
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Why not?" And this was a new opportunity for me to show that I could actually start from scratch a Bachelor's of Science in Cybersecurity with the knowledge and skills for the center of academic excellence that I was able, the curriculum I was able to become familiar with and experience.
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So I accepted the challenge.
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Mean, initially I was asked to, actually I was asked to build a program.
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Um, it had to go through a certification, process with the higher learning, body here,
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Yeah, Saks I think it is in the,
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SACS, yes, and the, and the Board of Regents here in, uh, in Louisiana.
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So I helped them to shape all of the proposals and set up the documents and build a curriculum and make the case, for that.
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And that was about a year or so while I was in Quantico in Virginia, we were doing that.
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And then it got approved, and they were tickled pink that it got approved, and I got a phone call again asking if I know...
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Well, it was along the line,"Do you know someone who would be willing to run the program?"
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Who could that be?
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So, you know, I, I said,"You know, I really don't know anyone, and, you know, with this kind of expertise who could run this program, Center for Excellence.
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I will certainly look out for you." So would you consider that?
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And so I'm in Virginia, I'm retired, you know, I'm a senior person, and I've got my kids and my grandchildren there.
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And now I've been asked to come out to Louisiana, in the New Orleans specific, and I had to consult with my wife, and we really had to get this.
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So she give me permission to come out here, um,
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I,
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and
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that because y- as a military background guy, you understand about getting, authorization.
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Yes
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Yes, receive organization and my grandchildren had just started to come to forward.
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It was a really, really tough thing to do with my grandchildren, with my children who had just started to get their, just started their families.
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Um,
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Mhm
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we had this, a huge home.
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They all were raised there.
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They were starting to struggle on their own, and do I do this?
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Well, you know, it's, it was, the need was there because there was no such degree in Louisiana, that type of degree.
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There was-
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again.
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There was no such degree like
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There was no such degree in Louisiana,
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the state of Louisiana.
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in the state of Louisiana.
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There was one degree at Grambling University, one bachelor's degree that was non-- it was a non-technical degree.
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It, they didn't meet the requirement for the center of, of of academic excellence, knowledge units.
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It was-- and I was pushing students out there that just started, but it wasn't getting them those jobs and careers that they need.
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It wasn't as, it wasn't aligned with CompTIA, ISACA, et cetera.
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And I said, you know, this is gonna be a great opportunity for the state of Louisiana, great opportunity for individuals there, and I accepted the challenge, and I came out.
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And, um, there are a couple things that,
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You built it at that time.
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Yes, I built it.
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I bought the model here, and I'm still learning.
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This is the third year of building.
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This is gonna be embedded in the book that I have of how to build a degree from scratch while you're sort of flying the plane because I just had my first graduating class of six.
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First class this year.
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Woo-hoo.
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Congratulations.
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of graduating this year.
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And then the, the first-year students are still matriculating.
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They'll be graduating next year because some of the students came in with, from other universities and other programs that wanted to be part of this program.
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They brought in some degree, we accepted them, et-et cetera.
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But building a program from scratch and bringing it into a-an existing academic structure was what I didn't contended.
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I have this embedded,
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yes.
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'Cause just because it's the most shiny and best and most up-to-date and relevant thing that's out there in business' industry.
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Now just take that and place that right now into higher education with its different strategies, bureaucracies, and proclivities and try to set that in there.
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I'm sure that was a really easy process for you, right?
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Oh my gosh.
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Oh my gosh.
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And I, to be honest, there were lots of long, long days of understanding the relationships, and you talk about that as well.
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What does...
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What
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Listening.
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what roles are there in supporting this academic core?
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Because this is a signature program, and this signature program, I thought, is just no, a no-brainer.
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It's a signature program.
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It's a high-flying, it's a high-demand program, and it'll be automatically, right off the bat, the biggest program in the university.
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Well, there were competing programs that has students.
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There were competing ideas of this new program now taking away from other programs.
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Oh yeah.
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other programs, okay?
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You're gonna desi-destroy a program.
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There are also, you know, I've got a special lab and brand-shining new equipment.
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I'm also higher salaried.
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I came in with, you know, with the tenure.
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And so the personalities are...
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You would also start to see that, um, you know, the chancellor is, is promoting the program and not-- may-maybe minimizing the other programs in the university.
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Maybe, I don't know.
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But I'm getting a lot of attention, a lot of attention, both inside the university, outside of the university.
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The community is learning about this great opportunity.
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They're embracing the program, and students are coming in droves, right?
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Now, that was the first reality that, oh, wow, you know, I've got some natural competitors now.
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Um, ooh, we could find synergy, and we can, you know, interdisciplinary synergy.
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But it's takes a different pathway now to build these teams to do that.
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That's not really the time when you're building a new program, right?
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Now, you're getting the program on the ground.
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And then the second thing now, you need to hire individuals.
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Now, you talk about that a lot, Vernon.
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So now I'm hiring faculty I'm vetting faculty.
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The resume is done all-- doesn't always measure up to what they are on the ground where they're, you know...
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With the most concrete of all of that is the vision.
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When you build a business, when you have a vision, when you have that experience, when you've experienced that demand from the customer, that does not necessarily fit one into academia because you know, someone said,"Well, why you need to do this today?
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Why do you need to comple- why do you need to grade this student, grade?
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Why you need to provide a grade to the student after two days of the student, finishing?
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Why you need to do that?
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Why can't you wait another day or two?
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Why do you need to respond to the email of the student?
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Why do you need to meet with the student to explain or reinforce thing?" Well, the Center of Academic Excellence program and the NICE framework demand that you spend enough time with them that they become an expert, you know, to the Bloom taxonomy level.
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The Bloom taxonomy level demands that you increase that level as, as expeditionally as possible be- because time is important for that student.
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And when the student needs your time, the student needs your time, right?
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So that cadre, that commitment of the s- of the faculty now is what I'm looking for.
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And, I'm looking for this cadre of faculty, and I'm seeing this scanty role of individuals in cyber with the education and the background.
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Very, very few people with empirical knowledge of, cybersecurity, number one.
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And those that have it, they are in the other universities in these positions that are making a lot of money.
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So when I try to get those individuals to come to Louisiana, salaries doesn't match up
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Oh, right
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Uh, a premium of maybe
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at against a faculty on its own for a cybersecurity faculty, and then
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Yes
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that to the, the amount you could make out in business and industry.
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It could make an industry or you could make it at somewhere at the, at MIT or, or, or LC or U- University of California or U- UMUC where these are, uh, programs, established programs.
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You have endowment.
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They're, they're grant writing individuals, and they're making, you know, they're making six figures plus, right?
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You come to, to Louisiana, and you're probably middle six figure, right?
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Uh, that's what the industry could sustain.
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So now that your industry is sustaining that, then you're lowering the expectation of those fac- those faculty individuals.
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Now you're getting the first year, maybe terminal degree, very few terminal degree individuals in the...
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which are some other disciplines.
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Bottom line, I ended up getting individuals who are local in a m- with master's degree.
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I had to downgrade the expectation from a terminal degree to master's degree some of the practitioners who are here and bring them in.
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Mhm.
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And, um, I, I had to skill them up.
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Now, they didn't have the, the certification that we're building before, um, to take them through the training and try to get them skilled up, because in order to teach the students and get them certified, then you have to be certified as well.
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Uh, so that pressure as well is what I had to start.
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And then some, and, and then some of those individuals, of which there were two of them, actually, I had to let go.
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I had to replace because they weren't the right fit for the rigor of the program.
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Um, and that all occurred over the last three years.
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While I was doing that as well, the students, you know, students saw some of the turmoil.
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Oh
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And students are very perspicacious and understood that a faculty member are not really as competent The biggest challenge that I encountered was that faculty member in the platform teaching the student did not espouse and was not able to get the confidence of the students for them to be able to learn dynamically for their student.
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Um, so that was a big learning lesson of standing up a brand new program in an austere salary environment
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Mhm
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And in the interim, so I'm teaching, you know, I'm teaching 40%, 50% of the courses, and I start to roll the program out.
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I was able to finish rolling out all of 19 courses last fall.
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Mm-hmm.
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me two and three quarters of a year to roll an entire program.
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development there.
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I got a tool for you
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I--
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I'll tell you about later on.
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Yes, and I developed, I personally developed the courses.
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I worked at, you know, during the day, I worked at night, I worked at weekends to get those courses developed because there was no other expectation.
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There was no nothing else.
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I had no failure, no failure.
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I had to get the courses in front of students before the semester starts.
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I had to get the faculty members, tuned up enough, to check for the credibility of the courses themselves, understood what they were teaching, meet the standard of that, grade the students on time, get their knowledge and get their competencies up, and get the confidence to grade, et cetera.
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That's what I had to do.
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I had no failure.
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If I didn't do it, I would have left.
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I needed to just leave, right?
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So I had no alternative, no, except but to keep that level of rigor in place.
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There were some, I believe, medical things that I suffered along the way, to be honest.
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a lot of stress.
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You get into a high-pressure situation where your, everything is, is loaded on your shoulders,
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Yes, sir.
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that
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Yes, sir.
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And the faculty members that I also, had to let go, actually one of them raised a grievance against me.
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Filed a grievance against me.
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And that was, that, that in itself was very stressful.
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For not to be,
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stressful.
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Yeah
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for not to be substantiated.
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But, uh, yeah, so that's the challenge of what it was that I've encountered.
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And it's starting to, sort of settle down now.
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Um
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That's, that's great.
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So can h- h- about how many, do you have a idea or at least a ballpark figure of the scale of the students that are now receiving this high quality program that is real world relevant, that is
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Yes
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and it's, it's cutting edge, and they're coming out with the critical thinking skills and knowledge.
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What, how many students, uh, are you, uh, impacting in Louisiana now as a result of your efforts over this three years?
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Right now about 175 students.
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I just had, like I said, the first class just graduated.
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The first two and the one particularly that I had spotlight, she got the certification In the process, that one did.
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Um, and she got her first job.
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Very, very good paying job.
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And doing, she was so, she said,"Dr.
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Williams, I have to give you and the program utmost credit that I was able to go on the job." And I'm speaking To them about the knowledge and skills.
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I'm referencing things and they're looking-- and they looked at me and said,"You know that?
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You know about that?" As a first-year student?
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And she say,"Yes, I learned it while I was learning, you know, in, in the program."
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Oh yeah
00:17:13.990 --> 00:17:22.910
I have another student who's an FBI analyst, which is a very, very rigorous program, and he's one of our bright students.
00:17:23.589 --> 00:17:27.349
And, um, he went through an entire polygraph process.
00:17:27.869 --> 00:17:32.109
They came, FBI, CIA, Defense Intelligence.
00:17:32.497 --> 00:17:32.916
Yes
00:17:32.990 --> 00:17:37.509
Yeah, they all come to, they come to my classroom because they heard about it.
00:17:37.529 --> 00:17:41.890
They hear about it, they come, and they talk to the students, and they encourage the students to a- to apply.
00:17:42.240 --> 00:17:45.849
And he's now about to become an FBI agent.
00:17:45.920 --> 00:17:49.160
They being-- as we speak right now, he's all to the, uh, everything,
00:17:49.576 --> 00:17:49.696
Love
00:17:49.869 --> 00:17:50.309
as well.
00:17:50.757 --> 00:17:50.876
He'll
00:17:50.950 --> 00:17:51.809
was able to get...
00:17:52.710 --> 00:17:53.259
That's right.
00:17:53.730 --> 00:18:13.069
I was able to get, uh, awarded with a, with a grant for the National Intelligence Agency, a nine-year grant, um, with multi-year funding for that grant to, to turn, to educate and to produce national intelligence, cyber intelligence, um, uh, AI individuals as well.
00:18:13.170 --> 00:18:15.529
Um, they c- they came and offered that.
00:18:15.910 --> 00:18:23.670
Also, uh, individuals like Cisco, I was able to stand up an academy, which is ano- another highlight of the program.
00:18:24.049 --> 00:18:37.940
Cisco Networking Academy allowed me to be a partner, and I am one-- the, this university is, is one of the only regional individuals, places where you could come and get certified in Cisco.
00:18:38.400 --> 00:18:40.759
We are regional, accrediting par- uh, body.
00:18:41.160 --> 00:18:43.880
They're able to come in and get free classes.
00:18:44.240 --> 00:18:52.799
Oh, by the way, free community, courses in networking, artificial intelligence, Splunk, et cetera.
00:18:53.116 --> 00:19:02.435
And we're offering that to them, and it inspires them to come in and, come in and start this, build this cadre of individual- individuals that we need.
00:19:03.136 --> 00:19:13.396
IBM has also, engaged with us and given us the permission to, to use their expertise because, you know, IBM is really, really big in artificial intelligence right now.
00:19:14.037 --> 00:19:20.336
Uh, we are using those and encourage-- embedding them, embedding them in our curriculum as well.
00:19:20.876 --> 00:19:22.497
What I learned before I came here as well.
00:19:22.576 --> 00:19:32.605
And Amazon Web Service, AWS, and then Google, Amazon, Google, and they're huge in for NTI right now, and management of systems and processes.
00:19:32.696 --> 00:19:35.196
We all-- That's also embedded and offered to the students.
00:19:35.737 --> 00:19:49.007
And free, as part of what I, what I was able to develop or to parcel for the students here, I was able to purchase certification vouchers And give to the students upon s- upon completion of their degree.
00:19:49.487 --> 00:19:52.508
So the students don't have to pay for the certification exams.
00:19:52.659 --> 00:19:58.640
a beautiful benefit that they not only have, that doesn't come out of their pocket to go get this, not only a
00:19:58.959 --> 00:19:59.338
That's right
00:19:59.640 --> 00:20:03.459
but I can, I have something to carry with me to get that certification that is
00:20:03.606 --> 00:20:03.946
Yeah.
00:20:04.159 --> 00:20:06.660
to the dance out in business and industry
00:20:07.248 --> 00:20:23.897
And another big thing that came out as a result of, you know, the upsurge of cyber education in Louisiana, the state board of regents decided to commission a cyber consortium cyber pilot program similar to what was done in California.
00:20:24.346 --> 00:20:25.425
Which you did in California.
00:20:25.546 --> 00:20:26.286
Yeah, that's
00:20:26.317 --> 00:20:26.698
sir.
00:20:27.278 --> 00:20:35.413
So I was invited to contribute to that along with five other universities in the state, and we built the curriculum over a course of a year.
00:20:36.000 --> 00:20:36.290
Love it
00:20:37.853 --> 00:20:44.752
uh, two courses on, in, in that and taught the courses, and it was a pilot program free for Louisiana residents.
00:20:45.243 --> 00:20:48.071
And that's a bootcamp style to do the upscaling.
00:20:48.122 --> 00:20:50.402
And it turned out to be such a great success.
00:20:50.922 --> 00:21:06.771
I'm a member of the Board of Regents Cybersecurity Commission, uh, appointed by the governor, and uh, we voted to, to, uh, to re-fund that, continue to fund that and grow it across all the uni- all the universities in the state of, state of Louisiana.
00:21:06.813 --> 00:21:14.082
So we'll have more programs in cyber, and we'll be able to turn out more cyber, um, students to serve the constituents.
00:21:14.289 --> 00:21:25.192
Which we need, as we've talked about in this, uh, interview, um, more cybersecurity specialists, more cybersecurity, guardians, uh, more cybersecurity Marines, more
00:21:25.483 --> 00:21:26.044
Mr.
00:21:26.112 --> 00:21:27.212
But not just that, it's in,
00:21:27.303 --> 00:21:27.373
that's right
00:21:27.500 --> 00:21:35.500
and industry and everywhere because it's, you know, we do touches in some ways, and AI is just going to accelerate that.
00:21:35.881 --> 00:21:36.340
That's right.
00:21:36.381 --> 00:21:36.881
That's right
00:21:37.320 --> 00:21:45.221
you've had, like, this really am- journey, and it's been a-- We're gonna, I'm gonna have to have you come back'cause I still have lots of questions to do.
00:21:45.576 --> 00:21:45.896
Okay
00:21:46.260 --> 00:21:58.760
you know, what we like to do at the end of the, uh, at the Engaged by Design podcast is we like to ask all our, our folks a question and, you know, and this is for you, Ken.
00:21:58.820 --> 00:22:06.421
I- if you'd step back and thought, do you engage more learners more effectively, what do you think the things that say,"Here's Dr.
00:22:06.480 --> 00:22:07.340
Ken Williams.
00:22:07.381 --> 00:22:08.221
This is how Dr.
00:22:08.340 --> 00:22:12.122
Ken..." What would you say you do to engage more learners more effectively?
00:22:12.853 --> 00:22:18.323
So Vernon, first of all, I take the humanistic and parental approach.
00:22:19.183 --> 00:22:24.873
I have, uh, had kids, my own, kids in academia, and I...
00:22:25.153 --> 00:22:27.492
That's the money that I pay.
00:22:28.093 --> 00:22:32.133
Um, uh, secondly, it's I want the best for them.
00:22:33.192 --> 00:22:35.022
The students are like my children,
00:22:36.010 --> 00:22:36.451
Mhm
00:22:37.123 --> 00:22:37.643
period.
00:22:38.003 --> 00:22:44.663
They're like my children, and so I want the best for them, and I'm vested in them.
00:22:45.503 --> 00:22:50.144
And, uh, so I'm always available for them, and they must understand that.
00:22:50.983 --> 00:22:51.784
They trust me.
00:22:52.424 --> 00:22:54.003
I'm their extension of their parent.
00:22:54.105 --> 00:22:55.844
I'm the extension of their family.
00:22:56.743 --> 00:23:01.163
The only reason they're here is to have that trust in me that I will take care of them.
00:23:01.765 --> 00:23:05.304
So I try in the first year, and I c- I j- That's one of...
00:23:05.483 --> 00:23:08.315
Why my standards are so high for my faculty as well.
00:23:08.355 --> 00:23:12.194
You've got to get, let the students understand that we are taking care of them, right?
00:23:12.535 --> 00:23:26.619
So once they're taken care of, they'll be relaxed enough to trust us to guide them So because there's an ulterior outcome to this, and that's the promise to an employer.
00:23:27.740 --> 00:23:27.859
Uh,
00:23:27.943 --> 00:23:28.403
Right
00:23:28.700 --> 00:23:45.469
a, a promise to them that they're gonna get their career started and promise to the employer that this academic institution, is trusted that the individual that you interview are ready for what you need to put out-- to do with them when they get to you, right?
00:23:45.528 --> 00:23:56.078
So I'm sort of, in a way, I'm sort of preparing, warming the student, tricking the student, whatever it is, to be comfortably enough and trust me, I got you.
00:23:56.618 --> 00:24:08.278
I got you, uh, you know, uh, and allow me to help you to walk, to take the next step to run, to run on your own, to be confident.
00:24:08.318 --> 00:24:11.909
So when you get ready for that commencement, you look at me and you say,"Thank you, Dr.
00:24:12.108 --> 00:24:16.909
Williams." So what, uh, what I'm doing with you here is allowing you to do that.
00:24:17.019 --> 00:24:19.749
Not only that, I'm allowing you to critically think.
00:24:19.808 --> 00:24:28.359
So when I lecture to you, when I introduce you to new concepts, I need for you to, to, to challenge me on what I'm saying to you.
00:24:29.579 --> 00:24:32.230
Because learning is not all in- inside of the classroom.
00:24:32.579 --> 00:24:35.720
I cannot open your brain and impart all the knowledge about you.
00:24:36.099 --> 00:24:44.740
But every time you challenge a concept, every time you ask for more explanation, every time you kinda-- then you are getting this passion and the passion that I have, right?
00:24:45.279 --> 00:25:02.299
I want you to be passionate enough that you're learning more than what I can actually spend with you, what I could reduce to you, what you could, uh, unearth yourself, because that is the person that we need in our society today for all those zero-day vulnerabilities.
00:25:02.400 --> 00:25:10.599
We need that person who could ask a lot of questions, who could interrogate things, who could question the things, and who could come up with a solution.
00:25:11.539 --> 00:25:13.069
So that is my approach to you
00:25:13.982 --> 00:25:14.742
I love it, Ken.
00:25:14.883 --> 00:25:25.222
It does reflect you as I know you as an educator and, and, uh, you know, a veteran and all these other, uh, just many hats that you wear.
00:25:25.323 --> 00:25:28.961
What I hope in this interview that folks understand is Ken's energy level.
00:25:29.461 --> 00:25:34.301
Um, when I find someone that matches my energy level, um, it's like something takes off, right?
00:25:34.402 --> 00:25:36.981
And so many wonderful things take off.
00:25:37.061 --> 00:25:40.921
Um, and it's just-- it's so nice to be able to work with you.
00:25:41.020 --> 00:25:42.621
Um, have the highest esteem for you.
00:25:42.661 --> 00:25:43.461
And I wanna thank
00:25:43.576 --> 00:25:43.676
you
00:25:43.701 --> 00:25:47.329
for part of the Engaged by Design podcast today.
00:25:47.371 --> 00:25:47.818
And so
00:25:48.474 --> 00:25:49.154
Thank you so much
00:25:49.219 --> 00:25:50.809
much for being here and joining us.
00:25:51.517 --> 00:25:53.517
Thank you so much, and thank you for having me, Vernon.
00:25:53.557 --> 00:26:03.946
And, and please, the same thing with Michael, just let him know that I appreciate, really appreciate you guys having me, an opportunity to talk about my passion and, and contribute to this fabulous dialogue
00:26:05.039 --> 00:26:05.400
I love it.
00:26:06.169 --> 00:26:09.628
Thank you for joining us in this three-part discussion with Dr.
00:26:09.628 --> 00:26:12.729
Ken Williams on the Engaged by Design podcast.
00:26:13.159 --> 00:26:17.388
If you enjoyed this series, please be sure to subscribe.
00:26:17.449 --> 00:26:21.398
To like, subscribe, and share this podcast with a friend.
00:26:21.949 --> 00:26:25.979
We'd sure love to extend our conversation to others in our community.
00:26:26.919 --> 00:26:30.739
And as always, let's work together to engage by design
00:00:07.700 --> 00:00:11.039
we need you to start a cybersecurity program.
00:00:11.121 --> 00:00:15.589
We have a lot of money, we want to start a program in Louisiana at our university.
00:00:16.190 --> 00:00:22.658
Are you interested?" I personally developed the courses.
00:00:23.242 --> 00:00:30.903
I worked at, you know, during the day, I worked at night, I worked at weekends to get those courses developed because there was no other expectation.
00:00:30.943 --> 00:00:39.859
There Welcome back to the Engaged by Design podcast, to the final part of our discussion with Dr.
00:00:39.859 --> 00:00:40.929
Ken Williams.
00:00:41.329 --> 00:00:56.942
Today, we explore what it takes to build a cybersecurity program from scratch, develop faculty and students, and create a lasting impact on higher education and on the workforce So let's get back to the conversation with Vernon and Ken
00:00:58.182 --> 00:01:01.982
Ken, talk a little bit about your current position and some of the things you're doing.
00:01:02.222 --> 00:01:03.503
T- t- talk about that a little bit
00:01:03.982 --> 00:01:04.953
Thanks a lot, Vernon.
00:01:05.233 --> 00:01:29.412
So while I was out at Quantico in the Marine, at the Cyber Academy, as I was developing that, community relationship with the Marine Corps Systems Command, all of the defense industrial base individuals that there, in that area, and we were promoting the academy, et cetera, we had these professional, events, speaking events that we talked about things like cybersecurity maturity model, CMMC.
00:01:29.831 --> 00:01:33.381
Oh, by the way, that's one that you give me permission to a- advise,
00:01:33.868 --> 00:01:34.228
mhm
00:01:34.400 --> 00:01:38.281
academic, uh, engagement for the cyber CMMC project.
00:01:38.620 --> 00:01:59.816
So we were promoting all of these initiatives in cyber at that point, and I was a keynote speaker, when, I was approached by the chancellor of Southern University at Baton Rouge and I don't know how he was invited or how that delegation was invited to come up there, to sit in the audience to listen to me talk about cybersecurity.
00:01:59.855 --> 00:02:00.975
But
00:02:01.159 --> 00:02:05.581
N- uh, some interesting, uh, steps coming together, not just
00:02:05.623 --> 00:02:06.424
Yeah.
00:02:06.439 --> 00:02:06.600
yeah
00:02:06.623 --> 00:02:15.734
So, upon conclusion, you know, they approached me and they said-- introduced themselves, and they said they would like to talk to me some more because they need this kind of expertise in Louisiana.
00:02:16.393 --> 00:02:18.932
And I'm like,"Okay, this is really interesting.
00:02:19.812 --> 00:02:21.014
This is very, very interesting.
00:02:21.093 --> 00:02:21.592
Okay, fine.
00:02:21.633 --> 00:02:22.913
Here's my card," et cetera.
00:02:22.953 --> 00:02:27.893
let's keep in touch." Well, fast-forward about a year later, I get this phone call.
00:02:29.310 --> 00:02:29.949
"Ken, Dr.
00:02:29.990 --> 00:02:34.240
Williams, we need you to start a cybersecurity program.
00:02:34.320 --> 00:02:36.750
We have a lot of money, close to a million dollars.
00:02:37.069 --> 00:02:40.189
We want to start a program in Louisiana at our university.
00:02:40.790 --> 00:02:47.229
Are you interested?" And that was about the time that I was, you know, I was starting to get the academy up and running.
00:02:47.311 --> 00:03:00.498
I was starting to also think about turning the academy into a certified pathway because we, we didn't-- we couldn't take tuition assistance, and I thought I needed to go from a, an academy to a fully-fledged university.
00:03:00.580 --> 00:03:03.139
So I was explaining-- I was exploring that thing.
00:03:03.558 --> 00:03:07.545
And then, in my head, I've already gone through this process of working at a higher level.
00:03:07.566 --> 00:03:12.235
And oh, by the way, thank you for allowing me to be an executive director of the Center for Academic Excellence.
00:03:12.316 --> 00:03:13.877
Introducing me to those,
00:03:14.048 --> 00:03:23.548
You were the one that came up with that idea, and you were the, my executive director for cybersecurity and c- c- uh, CAE.
00:03:23.769 --> 00:03:28.467
All that effort, you were doing it because, precisely because of your background and because
00:03:28.575 --> 00:03:29.036
Thank you.
00:03:29.108 --> 00:03:29.668
as a service.
00:03:29.729 --> 00:03:29.948
Yeah.
00:03:29.989 --> 00:03:35.008
But you had that experience, so you took that experience and you said,"Hey, you know what?
00:03:35.187 --> 00:03:37.448
I've, I, I've done this before," I'm sure is
00:03:37.503 --> 00:03:38.024
That's right.
00:03:38.304 --> 00:03:38.903
That's right.
00:03:39.383 --> 00:03:39.804
That's right.
00:03:39.905 --> 00:03:55.504
So with added experience of exploring or starting university and setting up an academy, and having the experience of, of standing up and, shaping a cyber curriculum, I said,"Yeah, why not?
00:03:55.644 --> 00:04:12.716
Why not?" And this was a new opportunity for me to show that I could actually start from scratch a Bachelor's of Science in Cybersecurity with the knowledge and skills for the center of academic excellence that I was able, the curriculum I was able to become familiar with and experience.
00:04:13.014 --> 00:04:14.155
So I accepted the challenge.
00:04:14.615 --> 00:04:18.394
Mean, initially I was asked to, actually I was asked to build a program.
00:04:19.035 --> 00:04:24.634
Um, it had to go through a certification, process with the higher learning, body here,
00:04:24.779 --> 00:04:26.538
Yeah, Saks I think it is in the,
00:04:26.694 --> 00:04:30.915
SACS, yes, and the, and the Board of Regents here in, uh, in Louisiana.
00:04:31.295 --> 00:04:38.004
So I helped them to shape all of the proposals and set up the documents and build a curriculum and make the case, for that.
00:04:38.084 --> 00:04:43.103
And that was about a year or so while I was in Quantico in Virginia, we were doing that.
00:04:43.124 --> 00:04:52.685
And then it got approved, and they were tickled pink that it got approved, and I got a phone call again asking if I know...
00:04:52.723 --> 00:04:56.595
Well, it was along the line,"Do you know someone who would be willing to run the program?"
00:04:57.358 --> 00:04:58.538
Who could that be?
00:05:02.490 --> 00:05:11.029
So, you know, I, I said,"You know, I really don't know anyone, and, you know, with this kind of expertise who could run this program, Center for Excellence.
00:05:11.370 --> 00:05:14.930
I will certainly look out for you." So would you consider that?
00:05:15.470 --> 00:05:22.870
And so I'm in Virginia, I'm retired, you know, I'm a senior person, and I've got my kids and my grandchildren there.
00:05:22.910 --> 00:05:33.130
And now I've been asked to come out to Louisiana, in the New Orleans specific, and I had to consult with my wife, and we really had to get this.
00:05:33.170 --> 00:05:36.610
So she give me permission to come out here, um,
00:05:36.954 --> 00:05:37.074
I,
00:05:37.269 --> 00:05:37.490
and
00:05:37.535 --> 00:05:42.663
that because y- as a military background guy, you understand about getting, authorization.
00:05:42.744 --> 00:05:43.024
Yes
00:05:43.351 --> 00:05:47.661
Yes, receive organization and my grandchildren had just started to come to forward.
00:05:47.742 --> 00:05:54.141
It was a really, really tough thing to do with my grandchildren, with my children who had just started to get their, just started their families.
00:05:54.882 --> 00:05:55.062
Um,
00:05:55.086 --> 00:05:55.485
Mhm
00:05:55.541 --> 00:05:56.882
we had this, a huge home.
00:05:56.942 --> 00:05:57.802
They all were raised there.
00:05:57.862 --> 00:06:01.153
They were starting to struggle on their own, and do I do this?
00:06:01.711 --> 00:06:08.771
Well, you know, it's, it was, the need was there because there was no such degree in Louisiana, that type of degree.
00:06:08.791 --> 00:06:09.052
There was-
00:06:09.187 --> 00:06:09.427
again.
00:06:09.588 --> 00:06:11.208
There was no such degree like
00:06:11.264 --> 00:06:13.064
There was no such degree in Louisiana,
00:06:13.228 --> 00:06:14.228
the state of Louisiana.
00:06:14.463 --> 00:06:15.264
in the state of Louisiana.
00:06:15.324 --> 00:06:22.543
There was one degree at Grambling University, one bachelor's degree that was non-- it was a non-technical degree.
00:06:22.685 --> 00:06:28.494
It, they didn't meet the requirement for the center of, of of academic excellence, knowledge units.
00:06:28.932 --> 00:06:35.932
It was-- and I was pushing students out there that just started, but it wasn't getting them those jobs and careers that they need.
00:06:36.314 --> 00:06:39.923
It wasn't as, it wasn't aligned with CompTIA, ISACA, et cetera.
00:06:40.562 --> 00:06:50.182
And I said, you know, this is gonna be a great opportunity for the state of Louisiana, great opportunity for individuals there, and I accepted the challenge, and I came out.
00:06:50.942 --> 00:06:53.661
And, um, there are a couple things that,
00:06:53.877 --> 00:06:55.158
You built it at that time.
00:06:55.403 --> 00:06:56.482
Yes, I built it.
00:06:56.641 --> 00:07:00.271
I bought the model here, and I'm still learning.
00:07:00.331 --> 00:07:02.670
This is the third year of building.
00:07:03.471 --> 00:07:14.670
This is gonna be embedded in the book that I have of how to build a degree from scratch while you're sort of flying the plane because I just had my first graduating class of six.
00:07:15.232 --> 00:07:16.211
First class this year.
00:07:16.266 --> 00:07:16.947
Woo-hoo.
00:07:17.127 --> 00:07:18.427
Congratulations.
00:07:18.552 --> 00:07:19.891
of graduating this year.
00:07:20.271 --> 00:07:22.870
And then the, the first-year students are still matriculating.
00:07:22.911 --> 00:07:29.500
They'll be graduating next year because some of the students came in with, from other universities and other programs that wanted to be part of this program.
00:07:29.521 --> 00:07:32.781
They brought in some degree, we accepted them, et-et cetera.
00:07:33.221 --> 00:07:44.221
But building a program from scratch and bringing it into a-an existing academic structure was what I didn't contended.
00:07:44.331 --> 00:07:45.350
I have this embedded,
00:07:45.478 --> 00:07:45.798
yes.
00:07:46.218 --> 00:07:52.119
'Cause just because it's the most shiny and best and most up-to-date and relevant thing that's out there in business' industry.
00:07:52.218 --> 00:08:02.098
Now just take that and place that right now into higher education with its different strategies, bureaucracies, and proclivities and try to set that in there.
00:08:02.158 --> 00:08:04.278
I'm sure that was a really easy process for you, right?
00:08:04.490 --> 00:08:06.011
Oh my gosh.
00:08:06.670 --> 00:08:07.471
Oh my gosh.
00:08:07.531 --> 00:08:16.740
And I, to be honest, there were lots of long, long days of understanding the relationships, and you talk about that as well.
00:08:17.360 --> 00:08:18.141
What does...
00:08:18.201 --> 00:08:18.391
What
00:08:18.456 --> 00:08:18.956
Listening.
00:08:18.961 --> 00:08:23.281
what roles are there in supporting this academic core?
00:08:23.380 --> 00:08:29.581
Because this is a signature program, and this signature program, I thought, is just no, a no-brainer.
00:08:29.661 --> 00:08:30.581
It's a signature program.
00:08:30.620 --> 00:08:38.750
It's a high-flying, it's a high-demand program, and it'll be automatically, right off the bat, the biggest program in the university.
00:08:39.311 --> 00:08:42.811
Well, there were competing programs that has students.
00:08:43.331 --> 00:08:48.850
There were competing ideas of this new program now taking away from other programs.
00:08:50.994 --> 00:08:51.913
Oh yeah.
00:08:52.280 --> 00:08:54.291
other programs, okay?
00:08:54.350 --> 00:08:56.130
You're gonna desi-destroy a program.
00:08:56.150 --> 00:09:02.110
There are also, you know, I've got a special lab and brand-shining new equipment.
00:09:02.669 --> 00:09:04.690
I'm also higher salaried.
00:09:05.070 --> 00:09:07.480
I came in with, you know, with the tenure.
00:09:07.960 --> 00:09:09.500
And so the personalities are...
00:09:09.519 --> 00:09:19.279
You would also start to see that, um, you know, the chancellor is, is promoting the program and not-- may-maybe minimizing the other programs in the university.
00:09:19.320 --> 00:09:20.159
Maybe, I don't know.
00:09:20.840 --> 00:09:27.100
But I'm getting a lot of attention, a lot of attention, both inside the university, outside of the university.
00:09:27.470 --> 00:09:30.230
The community is learning about this great opportunity.
00:09:30.659 --> 00:09:34.610
They're embracing the program, and students are coming in droves, right?
00:09:35.110 --> 00:09:42.529
Now, that was the first reality that, oh, wow, you know, I've got some natural competitors now.
00:09:43.070 --> 00:09:47.309
Um, ooh, we could find synergy, and we can, you know, interdisciplinary synergy.
00:09:47.649 --> 00:09:51.169
But it's takes a different pathway now to build these teams to do that.
00:09:51.330 --> 00:09:53.639
That's not really the time when you're building a new program, right?
00:09:54.149 --> 00:09:55.570
Now, you're getting the program on the ground.
00:09:55.929 --> 00:09:58.450
And then the second thing now, you need to hire individuals.
00:09:58.490 --> 00:10:00.139
Now, you talk about that a lot, Vernon.
00:10:00.179 --> 00:10:05.571
So now I'm hiring faculty I'm vetting faculty.
00:10:06.172 --> 00:10:11.731
The resume is done all-- doesn't always measure up to what they are on the ground where they're, you know...
00:10:11.812 --> 00:10:14.501
With the most concrete of all of that is the vision.
00:10:14.782 --> 00:10:29.182
When you build a business, when you have a vision, when you have that experience, when you've experienced that demand from the customer, that does not necessarily fit one into academia because you know, someone said,"Well, why you need to do this today?
00:10:29.222 --> 00:10:33.282
Why do you need to comple- why do you need to grade this student, grade?
00:10:33.402 --> 00:10:37.101
Why you need to provide a grade to the student after two days of the student, finishing?
00:10:37.601 --> 00:10:38.642
Why you need to do that?
00:10:38.743 --> 00:10:40.182
Why can't you wait another day or two?
00:10:40.581 --> 00:10:42.782
Why do you need to respond to the email of the student?
00:10:43.043 --> 00:10:57.951
Why do you need to meet with the student to explain or reinforce thing?" Well, the Center of Academic Excellence program and the NICE framework demand that you spend enough time with them that they become an expert, you know, to the Bloom taxonomy level.
00:10:57.991 --> 00:11:06.451
The Bloom taxonomy level demands that you increase that level as, as expeditionally as possible be- because time is important for that student.
00:11:07.072 --> 00:11:09.413
And when the student needs your time, the student needs your time, right?
00:11:10.052 --> 00:11:14.991
So that cadre, that commitment of the s- of the faculty now is what I'm looking for.
00:11:15.532 --> 00:11:24.191
And, I'm looking for this cadre of faculty, and I'm seeing this scanty role of individuals in cyber with the education and the background.
00:11:24.791 --> 00:11:29.908
Very, very few people with empirical knowledge of, cybersecurity, number one.
00:11:29.947 --> 00:11:36.904
And those that have it, they are in the other universities in these positions that are making a lot of money.
00:11:37.024 --> 00:11:42.664
So when I try to get those individuals to come to Louisiana, salaries doesn't match up
00:11:43.644 --> 00:11:45.705
Oh, right
00:11:46.589 --> 00:11:48.889
Uh, a premium of maybe
00:11:49.068 --> 00:11:53.590
at against a faculty on its own for a cybersecurity faculty, and then
00:11:53.629 --> 00:11:53.870
Yes
00:11:54.029 --> 00:11:56.908
that to the, the amount you could make out in business and industry.
00:11:57.596 --> 00:12:10.216
It could make an industry or you could make it at somewhere at the, at MIT or, or, or LC or U- University of California or U- UMUC where these are, uh, programs, established programs.
00:12:10.297 --> 00:12:11.177
You have endowment.
00:12:11.277 --> 00:12:16.337
They're, they're grant writing individuals, and they're making, you know, they're making six figures plus, right?
00:12:16.716 --> 00:12:21.407
You come to, to Louisiana, and you're probably middle six figure, right?
00:12:21.888 --> 00:12:24.567
Uh, that's what the industry could sustain.
00:12:25.027 --> 00:12:31.067
So now that your industry is sustaining that, then you're lowering the expectation of those fac- those faculty individuals.
00:12:31.226 --> 00:12:36.988
Now you're getting the first year, maybe terminal degree, very few terminal degree individuals in the...
00:12:37.027 --> 00:12:38.386
which are some other disciplines.
00:12:38.846 --> 00:12:43.446
Bottom line, I ended up getting individuals who are local in a m- with master's degree.
00:12:43.495 --> 00:12:50.378
I had to downgrade the expectation from a terminal degree to master's degree some of the practitioners who are here and bring them in.
00:12:51.466 --> 00:12:51.785
Mhm.
00:12:51.937 --> 00:12:54.658
And, um, I, I had to skill them up.
00:12:55.558 --> 00:13:09.438
Now, they didn't have the, the certification that we're building before, um, to take them through the training and try to get them skilled up, because in order to teach the students and get them certified, then you have to be certified as well.
00:13:09.899 --> 00:13:13.837
Uh, so that pressure as well is what I had to start.
00:13:13.857 --> 00:13:18.457
And then some, and, and then some of those individuals, of which there were two of them, actually, I had to let go.
00:13:18.908 --> 00:13:25.427
I had to replace because they weren't the right fit for the rigor of the program.
00:13:25.467 --> 00:13:28.148
Um, and that all occurred over the last three years.
00:13:28.488 --> 00:13:34.288
While I was doing that as well, the students, you know, students saw some of the turmoil.
00:13:35.428 --> 00:13:35.629
Oh
00:13:35.687 --> 00:13:59.419
And students are very perspicacious and understood that a faculty member are not really as competent The biggest challenge that I encountered was that faculty member in the platform teaching the student did not espouse and was not able to get the confidence of the students for them to be able to learn dynamically for their student.
00:13:59.500 --> 00:14:07.080
Um, so that was a big learning lesson of standing up a brand new program in an austere salary environment
00:14:07.816 --> 00:14:08.216
Mhm
00:14:09.331 --> 00:14:15.942
And in the interim, so I'm teaching, you know, I'm teaching 40%, 50% of the courses, and I start to roll the program out.
00:14:16.381 --> 00:14:20.743
I was able to finish rolling out all of 19 courses last fall.
00:14:21.254 --> 00:14:21.693
Mm-hmm.
00:14:21.761 --> 00:14:24.802
me two and three quarters of a year to roll an entire program.
00:14:24.913 --> 00:14:25.793
development there.
00:14:26.212 --> 00:14:26.873
I got a tool for you
00:14:26.900 --> 00:14:26.921
I--
00:14:27.052 --> 00:14:28.092
I'll tell you about later on.
00:14:28.381 --> 00:14:31.363
Yes, and I developed, I personally developed the courses.
00:14:31.822 --> 00:14:39.484
I worked at, you know, during the day, I worked at night, I worked at weekends to get those courses developed because there was no other expectation.
00:14:39.523 --> 00:14:40.903
There was no nothing else.
00:14:41.464 --> 00:14:43.243
I had no failure, no failure.
00:14:43.923 --> 00:14:47.503
I had to get the courses in front of students before the semester starts.
00:14:47.883 --> 00:15:04.322
I had to get the faculty members, tuned up enough, to check for the credibility of the courses themselves, understood what they were teaching, meet the standard of that, grade the students on time, get their knowledge and get their competencies up, and get the confidence to grade, et cetera.
00:15:04.764 --> 00:15:05.883
That's what I had to do.
00:15:05.942 --> 00:15:07.003
I had no failure.
00:15:07.062 --> 00:15:08.363
If I didn't do it, I would have left.
00:15:08.423 --> 00:15:10.182
I needed to just leave, right?
00:15:10.264 --> 00:15:17.134
So I had no alternative, no, except but to keep that level of rigor in place.
00:15:18.474 --> 00:15:23.933
There were some, I believe, medical things that I suffered along the way, to be honest.
00:15:23.985 --> 00:15:24.605
a lot of stress.
00:15:24.725 --> 00:15:30.086
You get into a high-pressure situation where your, everything is, is loaded on your shoulders,
00:15:30.610 --> 00:15:30.990
Yes, sir.
00:15:31.027 --> 00:15:31.145
that
00:15:31.850 --> 00:15:32.210
Yes, sir.
00:15:32.610 --> 00:15:39.301
And the faculty members that I also, had to let go, actually one of them raised a grievance against me.
00:15:39.779 --> 00:15:40.740
Filed a grievance against me.
00:15:41.440 --> 00:15:43.811
And that was, that, that in itself was very stressful.
00:15:44.150 --> 00:15:44.750
For not to be,
00:15:44.971 --> 00:15:45.370
stressful.
00:15:45.390 --> 00:15:45.551
Yeah
00:15:45.871 --> 00:15:47.490
for not to be substantiated.
00:15:47.591 --> 00:15:53.042
But, uh, yeah, so that's the challenge of what it was that I've encountered.
00:15:53.182 --> 00:15:55.068
And it's starting to, sort of settle down now.
00:15:55.948 --> 00:15:56.068
Um
00:15:56.092 --> 00:15:57.072
That's, that's great.
00:15:57.153 --> 00:16:10.375
So can h- h- about how many, do you have a idea or at least a ballpark figure of the scale of the students that are now receiving this high quality program that is real world relevant, that is
00:16:10.451 --> 00:16:10.730
Yes
00:16:11.235 --> 00:16:16.816
and it's, it's cutting edge, and they're coming out with the critical thinking skills and knowledge.
00:16:16.855 --> 00:16:22.813
What, how many students, uh, are you, uh, impacting in Louisiana now as a result of your efforts over this three years?
00:16:23.687 --> 00:16:26.166
Right now about 175 students.
00:16:26.745 --> 00:16:29.426
I just had, like I said, the first class just graduated.
00:16:30.046 --> 00:16:39.207
The first two and the one particularly that I had spotlight, she got the certification In the process, that one did.
00:16:39.707 --> 00:16:42.326
Um, and she got her first job.
00:16:43.366 --> 00:16:45.707
Very, very good paying job.
00:16:46.128 --> 00:16:48.626
And doing, she was so, she said,"Dr.
00:16:48.687 --> 00:17:00.529
Williams, I have to give you and the program utmost credit that I was able to go on the job." And I'm speaking To them about the knowledge and skills.
00:17:00.580 --> 00:17:04.869
I'm referencing things and they're looking-- and they looked at me and said,"You know that?
00:17:05.190 --> 00:17:08.130
You know about that?" As a first-year student?
00:17:08.210 --> 00:17:12.329
And she say,"Yes, I learned it while I was learning, you know, in, in the program."
00:17:12.769 --> 00:17:13.128
Oh yeah
00:17:13.990 --> 00:17:22.910
I have another student who's an FBI analyst, which is a very, very rigorous program, and he's one of our bright students.
00:17:23.589 --> 00:17:27.349
And, um, he went through an entire polygraph process.
00:17:27.869 --> 00:17:32.109
They came, FBI, CIA, Defense Intelligence.
00:17:32.497 --> 00:17:32.916
Yes
00:17:32.990 --> 00:17:37.509
Yeah, they all come to, they come to my classroom because they heard about it.
00:17:37.529 --> 00:17:41.890
They hear about it, they come, and they talk to the students, and they encourage the students to a- to apply.
00:17:42.240 --> 00:17:45.849
And he's now about to become an FBI agent.
00:17:45.920 --> 00:17:49.160
They being-- as we speak right now, he's all to the, uh, everything,
00:17:49.576 --> 00:17:49.696
Love
00:17:49.869 --> 00:17:50.309
as well.
00:17:50.757 --> 00:17:50.876
He'll
00:17:50.950 --> 00:17:51.809
was able to get...
00:17:52.710 --> 00:17:53.259
That's right.
00:17:53.730 --> 00:18:13.069
I was able to get, uh, awarded with a, with a grant for the National Intelligence Agency, a nine-year grant, um, with multi-year funding for that grant to, to turn, to educate and to produce national intelligence, cyber intelligence, um, uh, AI individuals as well.
00:18:13.170 --> 00:18:15.529
Um, they c- they came and offered that.
00:18:15.910 --> 00:18:23.670
Also, uh, individuals like Cisco, I was able to stand up an academy, which is ano- another highlight of the program.
00:18:24.049 --> 00:18:37.940
Cisco Networking Academy allowed me to be a partner, and I am one-- the, this university is, is one of the only regional individuals, places where you could come and get certified in Cisco.
00:18:38.400 --> 00:18:40.759
We are regional, accrediting par- uh, body.
00:18:41.160 --> 00:18:43.880
They're able to come in and get free classes.
00:18:44.240 --> 00:18:52.799
Oh, by the way, free community, courses in networking, artificial intelligence, Splunk, et cetera.
00:18:53.116 --> 00:19:02.435
And we're offering that to them, and it inspires them to come in and, come in and start this, build this cadre of individual- individuals that we need.
00:19:03.136 --> 00:19:13.396
IBM has also, engaged with us and given us the permission to, to use their expertise because, you know, IBM is really, really big in artificial intelligence right now.
00:19:14.037 --> 00:19:20.336
Uh, we are using those and encourage-- embedding them, embedding them in our curriculum as well.
00:19:20.876 --> 00:19:22.497
What I learned before I came here as well.
00:19:22.576 --> 00:19:32.605
And Amazon Web Service, AWS, and then Google, Amazon, Google, and they're huge in for NTI right now, and management of systems and processes.
00:19:32.696 --> 00:19:35.196
We all-- That's also embedded and offered to the students.
00:19:35.737 --> 00:19:49.007
And free, as part of what I, what I was able to develop or to parcel for the students here, I was able to purchase certification vouchers And give to the students upon s- upon completion of their degree.
00:19:49.487 --> 00:19:52.508
So the students don't have to pay for the certification exams.
00:19:52.659 --> 00:19:58.640
a beautiful benefit that they not only have, that doesn't come out of their pocket to go get this, not only a
00:19:58.959 --> 00:19:59.338
That's right
00:19:59.640 --> 00:20:03.459
but I can, I have something to carry with me to get that certification that is
00:20:03.606 --> 00:20:03.946
Yeah.
00:20:04.159 --> 00:20:06.660
to the dance out in business and industry
00:20:07.248 --> 00:20:23.897
And another big thing that came out as a result of, you know, the upsurge of cyber education in Louisiana, the state board of regents decided to commission a cyber consortium cyber pilot program similar to what was done in California.
00:20:24.346 --> 00:20:25.425
Which you did in California.
00:20:25.546 --> 00:20:26.286
Yeah, that's
00:20:26.317 --> 00:20:26.698
sir.
00:20:27.278 --> 00:20:35.413
So I was invited to contribute to that along with five other universities in the state, and we built the curriculum over a course of a year.
00:20:36.000 --> 00:20:36.290
Love it
00:20:37.853 --> 00:20:44.752
uh, two courses on, in, in that and taught the courses, and it was a pilot program free for Louisiana residents.
00:20:45.243 --> 00:20:48.071
And that's a bootcamp style to do the upscaling.
00:20:48.122 --> 00:20:50.402
And it turned out to be such a great success.
00:20:50.922 --> 00:21:06.771
I'm a member of the Board of Regents Cybersecurity Commission, uh, appointed by the governor, and uh, we voted to, to, uh, to re-fund that, continue to fund that and grow it across all the uni- all the universities in the state of, state of Louisiana.
00:21:06.813 --> 00:21:14.082
So we'll have more programs in cyber, and we'll be able to turn out more cyber, um, students to serve the constituents.
00:21:14.289 --> 00:21:25.192
Which we need, as we've talked about in this, uh, interview, um, more cybersecurity specialists, more cybersecurity, guardians, uh, more cybersecurity Marines, more
00:21:25.483 --> 00:21:26.044
Mr.
00:21:26.112 --> 00:21:27.212
But not just that, it's in,
00:21:27.303 --> 00:21:27.373
that's right
00:21:27.500 --> 00:21:35.500
and industry and everywhere because it's, you know, we do touches in some ways, and AI is just going to accelerate that.
00:21:35.881 --> 00:21:36.340
That's right.
00:21:36.381 --> 00:21:36.881
That's right
00:21:37.320 --> 00:21:45.221
you've had, like, this really am- journey, and it's been a-- We're gonna, I'm gonna have to have you come back'cause I still have lots of questions to do.
00:21:45.576 --> 00:21:45.896
Okay
00:21:46.260 --> 00:21:58.760
you know, what we like to do at the end of the, uh, at the Engaged by Design podcast is we like to ask all our, our folks a question and, you know, and this is for you, Ken.
00:21:58.820 --> 00:22:06.421
I- if you'd step back and thought, do you engage more learners more effectively, what do you think the things that say,"Here's Dr.
00:22:06.480 --> 00:22:07.340
Ken Williams.
00:22:07.381 --> 00:22:08.221
This is how Dr.
00:22:08.340 --> 00:22:12.122
Ken..." What would you say you do to engage more learners more effectively?
00:22:12.853 --> 00:22:18.323
So Vernon, first of all, I take the humanistic and parental approach.
00:22:19.183 --> 00:22:24.873
I have, uh, had kids, my own, kids in academia, and I...
00:22:25.153 --> 00:22:27.492
That's the money that I pay.
00:22:28.093 --> 00:22:32.133
Um, uh, secondly, it's I want the best for them.
00:22:33.192 --> 00:22:35.022
The students are like my children,
00:22:36.010 --> 00:22:36.451
Mhm
00:22:37.123 --> 00:22:37.643
period.
00:22:38.003 --> 00:22:44.663
They're like my children, and so I want the best for them, and I'm vested in them.
00:22:45.503 --> 00:22:50.144
And, uh, so I'm always available for them, and they must understand that.
00:22:50.983 --> 00:22:51.784
They trust me.
00:22:52.424 --> 00:22:54.003
I'm their extension of their parent.
00:22:54.105 --> 00:22:55.844
I'm the extension of their family.
00:22:56.743 --> 00:23:01.163
The only reason they're here is to have that trust in me that I will take care of them.
00:23:01.765 --> 00:23:05.304
So I try in the first year, and I c- I j- That's one of...
00:23:05.483 --> 00:23:08.315
Why my standards are so high for my faculty as well.
00:23:08.355 --> 00:23:12.194
You've got to get, let the students understand that we are taking care of them, right?
00:23:12.535 --> 00:23:26.619
So once they're taken care of, they'll be relaxed enough to trust us to guide them So because there's an ulterior outcome to this, and that's the promise to an employer.
00:23:27.740 --> 00:23:27.859
Uh,
00:23:27.943 --> 00:23:28.403
Right
00:23:28.700 --> 00:23:45.469
a, a promise to them that they're gonna get their career started and promise to the employer that this academic institution, is trusted that the individual that you interview are ready for what you need to put out-- to do with them when they get to you, right?
00:23:45.528 --> 00:23:56.078
So I'm sort of, in a way, I'm sort of preparing, warming the student, tricking the student, whatever it is, to be comfortably enough and trust me, I got you.
00:23:56.618 --> 00:24:08.278
I got you, uh, you know, uh, and allow me to help you to walk, to take the next step to run, to run on your own, to be confident.
00:24:08.318 --> 00:24:11.909
So when you get ready for that commencement, you look at me and you say,"Thank you, Dr.
00:24:12.108 --> 00:24:16.909
Williams." So what, uh, what I'm doing with you here is allowing you to do that.
00:24:17.019 --> 00:24:19.749
Not only that, I'm allowing you to critically think.
00:24:19.808 --> 00:24:28.359
So when I lecture to you, when I introduce you to new concepts, I need for you to, to, to challenge me on what I'm saying to you.
00:24:29.579 --> 00:24:32.230
Because learning is not all in- inside of the classroom.
00:24:32.579 --> 00:24:35.720
I cannot open your brain and impart all the knowledge about you.
00:24:36.099 --> 00:24:44.740
But every time you challenge a concept, every time you ask for more explanation, every time you kinda-- then you are getting this passion and the passion that I have, right?
00:24:45.279 --> 00:25:02.299
I want you to be passionate enough that you're learning more than what I can actually spend with you, what I could reduce to you, what you could, uh, unearth yourself, because that is the person that we need in our society today for all those zero-day vulnerabilities.
00:25:02.400 --> 00:25:10.599
We need that person who could ask a lot of questions, who could interrogate things, who could question the things, and who could come up with a solution.
00:25:11.539 --> 00:25:13.069
So that is my approach to you
00:25:13.982 --> 00:25:14.742
I love it, Ken.
00:25:14.883 --> 00:25:25.222
It does reflect you as I know you as an educator and, and, uh, you know, a veteran and all these other, uh, just many hats that you wear.
00:25:25.323 --> 00:25:28.961
What I hope in this interview that folks understand is Ken's energy level.
00:25:29.461 --> 00:25:34.301
Um, when I find someone that matches my energy level, um, it's like something takes off, right?
00:25:34.402 --> 00:25:36.981
And so many wonderful things take off.
00:25:37.061 --> 00:25:40.921
Um, and it's just-- it's so nice to be able to work with you.
00:25:41.020 --> 00:25:42.621
Um, have the highest esteem for you.
00:25:42.661 --> 00:25:43.461
And I wanna thank
00:25:43.576 --> 00:25:43.676
you
00:25:43.701 --> 00:25:47.329
for part of the Engaged by Design podcast today.
00:25:47.371 --> 00:25:47.818
And so
00:25:48.474 --> 00:25:49.154
Thank you so much
00:25:49.219 --> 00:25:50.809
much for being here and joining us.
00:25:51.517 --> 00:25:53.517
Thank you so much, and thank you for having me, Vernon.
00:25:53.557 --> 00:26:03.946
And, and please, the same thing with Michael, just let him know that I appreciate, really appreciate you guys having me, an opportunity to talk about my passion and, and contribute to this fabulous dialogue
00:26:05.039 --> 00:26:05.400
I love it.
00:26:06.169 --> 00:26:09.628
Thank you for joining us in this three-part discussion with Dr.
00:26:09.628 --> 00:26:12.729
Ken Williams on the Engaged by Design podcast.
00:26:13.159 --> 00:26:17.388
If you enjoyed this series, please be sure to subscribe.
00:26:17.449 --> 00:26:21.398
To like, subscribe, and share this podcast with a friend.
00:26:21.949 --> 00:26:25.979
We'd sure love to extend our conversation to others in our community.
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And as always, let's work together to engage by design
