Campbell University Announces New Department of Security and Computing

The 'People' Part of Enterprise Cybersecurity Strategies

June 12, 2020

The Campbell University College of Arts and Sciences, a private university in Buies Creek, N.C., has announced the formation of a new academic department, the Department of Security and Computing, which will house cybersecurity, homeland security and ITS programs.

Dr. Michael Wells, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, noted that the new Department of Security and Computing will provide a rich environment for interdisciplinary learning among its programs, enhancing the quality of education in these fields of studies.

“The academic programs offered by the new department will be a good mix of theory and application. The majors will span the spectrum from the broad field of Homeland Security to the technologically-heavy Information Technology & Security with Cybersecurity in the middle.” said Wells.

Dr. Amanda Parker, Associate Professor of Homeland Security and Cybersecurity, is the founding chair of the new department. She obtained her Ph.D. in Criminology from the University of South Florida and has been studying cyberthreats and transnational terrorism threats since 2005, writing and presenting nationally and internationally on many aspects of cybercrime and cybersecurity, including cyberterrorism.

“Dr. Parker is a recognized scholar in cybersecurity who is extremely well qualified to lead these programs,” said Dr. Mark Hammond, Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost. “I also applaud Dean Wells’ strong leadership in the establishment of the new department.”

The department change went into effect on June 1.

Ransomware and the propulsion of the extortion economy has rapidly eclipsed into a national priority. Recently, we observed the catastrophic impact of a widescale ransomware attack impacting gas pipelines and raising national gas prices overnight.