Dr. Petter Lovaas, Niagara University’s chief information security officer and chair of the Department of Cyber Security & Operations, and Dr. Timothy Ireland, provost and vice president of academic affairs, accepted the university’s official designation as a National Security Agency Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense on April 9. The designation was presented during a special ceremony at the 2025 CAE Cybersecurity Community Symposium in Charleston, S.C.
The NSA CAE designation is awarded to institutions that meet rigorous criteria for their cybersecurity programs, including academic program quality, faculty expertise, student support, and a demonstrated commitment to collaboration and community outreach in cybersecurity. The program of study validated by the NSA is Niagara University’s Master of Science degree program in Information Security and Digital Forensics (ISDF).
As a designated NSA Center of Academic Excellence, Niagara University will benefit from increased access to research funding, collaboration opportunities with other CAE institutions, and the ability to influence national cybersecurity education standards. This designation will also enable the university to offer students enhanced learning opportunities, including specialized courses, hands-on learning, and access to state-of-the-art cybersecurity labs and research.