NU students receive special NSA scholarships

By Dana Harris
Norwich Guidon Staff Writer

Shortly after Norwich University and Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont announced a National Security Agency grant to fund of $264,000 on the protection of the nation's critical infrastructures, two NU students were named recipients of the Department Of Defense (DOD) Information Assurance (IA) Scholarship.

Norwich is now a committed part of the nation's efforts in the evolving field of Information Assurance.

"The scholarship recipients and the educational and research initiatives will help strengthen the United States and the citizenry as they meet and overcome future security challenges in business and personal use of the Internet," according President Schneider, as quoted on http://www.norwich.edu/news/2002/iascholarship.html.

"This federal scholarship program has provided a remarkable opportunity for Vermonters to learn valuable computer skills and apply those lessons in critically important government positions," said Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy, a senior member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.

"Vermonters will be leading the way in crafting smart, workable responses to the various threats to our computer systems. Norwich University will prepare these young men and women superbly for whatever challenges lie ahead," according to the site.

Norwich University Senior John Cappellano and Junior Natalie DesLandes are among twelve undergraduate and eighteen graduate students recently selected nationally for this recognition. According to the site, the scholarship total of $64,220 provides each undergraduate student with the full cost of tuition, fees, books and earnings of $10,000.

"The scholarship is a scholarship for service, they pay for my schooling in return for a year obligation of employment with the NSA," said Cappellano, a senior majoring in business management from Peacham, Vt.

Each student will serve in an internship program during the summers while participating in this program. The Department of Defense will be responsible for their placement.

"I'm happy to receive the (NSA) scholarship; it's a great accomplishment for me from all of my hard work," said DesLandes, an electrical engineering major from Swanton, Vt.

She will be placed into a federal government position that will best utilize her skills and the education she has developed in computer security and information assurance, according to the website.

Norwich University, which was accredited last year as a Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance by the National Security Agency (NSA), provides Information Assurance within all academic disciplines.

This year's NSA grant to the University is for a total of $264,220. The capacity building award, $200,000, will be used for curriculum development in multiple areas of study, including Cryptology, Cyber-Ethics, Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition Systems (SCADA).

"The scholarship is part of a new direction of our National Defense that focuses on protecting our critical info structure," said Cappellano. "I'm looking forward to working for the government and being a part of our efforts to protect info."

In addition, the grant will defray the cost of Norwich's annual E-Protect IT Conference, and at the same time assist in Professional Development for faculty and support student/faculty research projects in Firewall Research and computer forensics.

As the school year shortens, DesLandes and the (NSA) are looking into stationing DesLandes in the Southern state areas to work in research labs for the Department of the Army as an intern, according to DesLandes.

"I will be doing research on improving Information Assurance to keep everything that is classified even more protected than before, from hackers especially," said DesLandes.

Cappellano said that being chosen to receive such an award "is because of my academic standing and involvement in the Information Assurance Department, and a little luck along with the help of Colonel Aldrich the entire way."

Col. Tom Aldrich is the director of the information assurance program at Norwich University.

There is more than luck and help involved for the two Norwich scholars; there is commitment. "I'm good at managing people and working on interpersonal relationships," said Cappellano.

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