News & Events

UW-W Chancellor Corey A. King (R) greets Harry Coker Jr. UW-Whitewater photos/Craig Schreiner

By Chris Lindeke
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Marketing and Communications Manager
University Marketing and Communications

A growing major at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater — cybersecurity — was the topic of conversation on the Whitewater campus during a visit from the Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD) on Wednesday, Oct. 2.

Representatives from the White House, including National Cyber Director Harry Coker, Jr., and Acting Director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management Rob Shriver, joined UW-Whitewater students, faculty and staff for a day of engagement, discussion and learning.

The visit included meetings with campus leadership, a tour of facilities, a student panel discussion, remarks from both White House and university representatives, roundtable discussions, and a visit to UW-Whitewater’s annual Hawk Internship and Career Fair.

A student panel discussion included information technology major MayLin Frietag, information technology and marketing major Paige Lenz, and cybersecurity major Shamik Patro. The panel was moderated by Michael Rose, who earned a BBA in information technology and an M.S. in cybersecurity from UW-Whitewater and is currently the director of information technology at St. John’s Northwestern Academies in Delafield.

Coker lauded the work of UW-Whitewater in the cybersecurity space, especially with small businesses and rural agribusinesses in Wisconsin that are often targets of malware attacks.

“I’ve learned even more about how strong this institution is,” Coker said. “You all ought to be proud of your accomplishments … I’m so proud of what you’re doing and so grateful, particularly to students whom I met with this morning. Believe me when I tell you, I’m now even more encouraged about our nation’s future. I’m inspired to be at UW-Whitewater.”

Cybersecurity is one of the fastest growing occupations in the United States. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs for information security analysts are expected to grow by 33 percent between 2023-33 – the fifth-fastest rate in the nation.

According to Coker, there are nearly 500,000 job openings in cybersecurity in the nation, including 5,000 in Wisconsin. In the southern part of the state alone – including the Janesville, Madison and Milwaukee areas – a total of 3,000 cybersecurity roles are open.

UW-Whitewater is addressing the need head on. The number of degree-seeking cybersecurity majors at the school nearly doubled between the 2022-23 and 2023-24 academic years. The university’s undergraduate major and minor programs related to cybersecurity, combined with the master’s and certificate programs, have risen steadily since 2019-20, including an 11 percent jump between 2022-23 and 2023-24.

UW-Whitewater is aligned with the National Security Agency’s National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) program and Cyber Operations (CAE-CO) program requirements.

“Cybersecurity is a growing challenge, affecting industries, schools, and businesses of all sizes,” said Jason Janke, dean of the College of Letters and Sciences. “We offer comprehensive undergraduate and graduate cybersecurity programs that are directly aligned with the demands of the workforce.”

UW-Whitewater’s B.S. in cybersecurity, offered through the College of Letters and Sciences, focuses on identifying, preventing, detecting, and responding to security attacks that endanger the safety of property and people.

The university’s BBA in information technology with emphasis in networking and security, a program in the College of Business and Economics, tackles the same focus areas while exploring the relationship between cybersecurity and business.

“Cybersecurity is more than just an IT issue – it’s a business imperative,” said Paul Ambrose, dean of the College of Business and Economics. “We are leading the way in ensuring our students have the knowledge and skills to protect organizations from evolving cyber threats.”

Students in both majors engage in the UW-Whitewater Cybersecurity Center for Business (CCB). Housed in the business school, the CCB offers cybersecurity education, research, and outreach for organizations and learners in Wisconsin. Current and past partners include the U.S. Department of Defense and the Wisconsin Emergency Management Cyber Response Team.

“I didn’t know what cybersecurity was until I joined the cybersecurity club,” said Lenz, a junior from Bloomington, Illinois. “You get to learn theory, get to do hands-on experiences, and get to compete in competitions. It’s helped me a lot with my experiences here.”

“The Cybersecurity Center for Business complements the curriculum initiatives through education, research and outreach initiatives in cybersecurity,” said Balaji Sankaranarayanan, CCB director and professor of information technology and supply chain management.

Graduates can also enroll at UW-Whitewater for additional learning on the topic – other academic programs include an M.S. in cybersecurity, a cybersecurity certificate, and a cybersecurity management certificate. All three programs are fully online, offering convenience and flexibility for professionals to build their skills and enhance their knowledge.

Students in the cybersecurity programs provide free Cyber Preparedness Assessments to rural K-12 school districts and agribusinesses, which are increasingly vulnerable to cyber attacks.

During the upcoming Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region 5 Cyber Lucrezia exercise, UW-Whitewater students will shadow professionals in real-time cyber defense.

They’re all part of the hands-on learning that has become commonplace on campus.

“You get classes on the computer science side to learn theory and classes on the IT side where you get hands-on experiences, and the bow on top is the cybersecurity classes,” said Patro, a senior from Verona. “Capstone classes focus on hands-on learning where you go out to local companies and schools and perform actual cybersecurity related tasks. It’s a phenomenal experience.”

The visit also occurred during Cyber Awareness Month, an annual initiative to raise cybersecurity awareness in the United States and around the world.

The day closed at the university’s Hawk Internship and Career Fair, where nearly 200 employers engaged with students and alumni seeking internship and employment opportunities. Approximately 20 of the organizations on hand were recruiting for cybersecurity related roles.

October is a month for the macabre, mysterious moans, mammoth monsters…and Halloween! Three movies to induce mayhem! 

“Matinee”

Tuesday, October 8, 1 pm 

(Comedy/Drama) Rated PG; 1 hour, 39 minutes, (1993)

Remember “The Fly,” “The Mole People,” and “The Alligator Man”? In a deft spoof of 50’s-60’s horror films, John Goodman portrays a B-movie producer of low–budget monster flicks, sneak-previewing his latest schlocky monster mash of a movie at a Key West theater—-on the weekend of the 1962 Cuban missile crisis. A real hoot! Wait ‘til you see “The Mant”! (half man/half ant)…

Seniors in the Park is located in Starin Park, 504 W. Starin Road. Although there is no charge to attend, regular participants are encouraged to join Seniors in the Park. The annual fee for residents of the Whitewater Unified School District is $10 and non-residents is $15. The funds support about half of the cost of our front desk staff person for 15 hours per week. The rest comes our of our fundraising monies. If you cannot afford the fee, we have a fund that will cover it for you. Fees are accepted at the Starin Park Community Building or online at https://schedulesplus.com/wwtr/kiosk/

Paul Jhona writes, “This Spring a tall lilac got hit by a storm. Damaged. New sprouts all Summer. This past week saw these blooming up high [see photo below.] Lilacs in September and October.

Our thanks to Paul Jhona for sharing his surprise with us.

— Our Readers Share: We hope that you might have something that you’d be willing to share.  Anything that’s been created by someone else should, of course, be credited, and you should ask their permission if you’re able. We cannot post copyrighted material without permission. We can’t guarantee that we’ll have space for all submissions, and contributions will be subject to editorial board approval. The one definite exclusion is anything politically oriented. We will assume that you’re willing for us to include your name as the submitter unless you indicate that you prefer to remain anonymous. Send to whitewaterbanner@gmail.com. Thanks for thinking about this!

By 11 a.m. there sometimes was almost more toilet paper on the ground than in the trees. [Binnie photos]

By Lynn Binnie
Whitewater Banner volunteer staff
whitewaterbanner@gmail.com

In the past it was often popular to toilet paper the trees at fellow high school students’ homes for Homecoming, but this year the focus seemed to be on the high school itself. As students and staff arrived for school on Friday, October 4, they found that essentially every tree or large bush in the front and sides of the high school had been toilet papered. While traditionally the goal seemed to be to cover each tree as thoroughly as possible, in this case the objective seemed to be how many trees could be minimally decorated. Approximately fifty trees were targeted.

Principal Brent Mansky and Athletic Director Justin Crandall displayed no irritation while cruising the campus in a golf cart to retrieve paper from the lawn on Friday afternoon. “They have to learn to do it better,” Mansky told The Banner. Noting how the perpetrators seemed to hit each tree only once, he continued, “Next year we’re going to make it into a competition between the classes; each grade will be assigned a section. They’ll have to clean up what’s on the lawn by Friday evening.”

Principal Brent Mansky (L) and Athletic Director Justin Crandall recovered paper from the lawn on Friday afternoon.

Justin Crandall demonstrating his mastery of the grabber

Editor’s note: The Banner wishes to thank Kay Robers for the news tip.

Public service announcement from the City of Whitewater

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is interested in improving pedestrian safety when crossing Starin Road between Prince Street and Prairie Street. One solution they would like to investigate further is the closure of Starin Road to vehicular traffic during certain hours Monday thru Friday while the University is in session. The exact closure would be just east of the Warhawk Drive intersection to just east of the UW Bookstore.

To gather more information and potential impacts, the City Council has authorized a temporary closure for two weeks. Starting Monday, October 7, 2024 – Friday, October 18, 2024, Starin Road will be closed to thru traffic from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday thru Friday, as shown on the map above. The temporary closure will cease at 6:00 p.m. on Friday October 18, 2024. Motorists are encouraged to use alternate routes, which may include CTH U, Schwager Drive, or Main Street.

Brad Marquardt
Director of Public Works
262-473-0139
bmarquardt@whitewater-wi.gov

It’s time once again for #FlashbackFriday with the Whitewater Historical Society. This month, let’s look at some buildings of the UW-Whitewater built during the mid-20th century and still standing today.

Our first image is S. A. White Hall, a residence hall built in 1963. The first dormitory built on campus was Lucy Baker Hall in 1952, now demolished. During the next 10 years, several more dormitories with this exact plan were built on campus, just as they were being built on all the other campuses of the Wisconsin State Colleges (Universities). S. A. White Hall is a good example of this style. Four stories with a lobby, they served students until recent years, when they have been demolished for other buildings. Beginning in the mid-1960s, a newer version of this type of dormitory was built on campuses in Wisconsin, and many of these are still standing. Then came the high-rise dorms. Today, new types of “suite” dormitories are popular. Housing students from local boarding houses to dormitories to student apartment buildings has been an important trend in Whitewater since 1900.

Join us next week for more from the Whitewater Historical Society.

(#4489PC, Whitewater Historical Society)