Chancellor Milliken participates in White House Cybersecurity Summit

University of Texas System Chancellor James B. Milliken and other education and business leaders -- including the CEOs of Apple, Amazon and JPMorgan Chase -- were invited to the White House Wednesday to meet with President Joe Biden and members of his cabinet and national security team to discuss how the government, education and private sectors can work together to improve the nation’s cybersecurity.

At the meeting, Milliken announced UT institutions will expand existing and develop new short-term credentials in cyber-related fields to diversify and strengthen America’s cybersecurity workforce. In support of this effort, UT San Antonio’s Cybersecurity Manufacturing Innovation Institute (CyManII) has planned to upskill and reskill over 1 million workers across the nation by offering entry-level cyber educational programs. The programs will not require a traditional bachelor’s degree and will be provided by a consortium of institutions.

In addition, UT institutions will double the percent of degrees, certificates and short-term credentials awarded to women by 2030, Milliken said. In 2020, about 19% of the cybersecurity degrees awarded by UT institutions were to women. 

“We need a larger and more diverse cybersecurity talent pool, and we need it as soon as possible,” Milliken said. “The ability to recruit and retain the best talent is key to maintaining and expanding our national competitive advantage in cybersecurity, and we are eager to strengthen our relationships with the K-12, government, nonprofit and private sectors to better respond to workforce needs and dynamics.”

According to the White House, about half-a-million cybersecurity jobs are currently unfilled, while organizations and businesses of all sizes increasingly face sophisticated cyber attacks that cost the U.S. billions of dollars each year.

The UT System is an emerging leader in offering certifications and micro credentials to fill critical workforce needs and help workers qualify for more lucrative job opportunities.

“UT institutions are developing a growing continuum of educational offerings in cybersecurity, from short-term credentials to traditional degree programs, so that we can serve a variety of target populations, including displaced workers and working adult learners,” Milliken said.

For example, UT Austin offers a 24-week online Cybersecurity Boot Camp for those looking to start a career in networking and security, as well as those currently working in a technical field who want to expand their cyber knowledge, better understand how to keep data secure, and learn hands-on skills.

With the size and diversity of the population in Texas, UT institutions also can play an important role in increasing the numbers of Hispanic and Black professionals in the cybersecurity workforce. Forty-one percent of all UT System degrees—and 48% of undergraduate degrees—are awarded to Hispanic and Black students.

UT El Paso already is model for developing a more diverse pipeline. Its S-STEM scholarship for computer science students, made possible by a $3.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation, provides co-curricular activities focused on cybersecurity and professional development that prepares participants for cyber careers. Currently, S-STEM scholarship recipients are 85% Hispanic and 65% women.

In addition, UT Austin, UT Dallas, UT El Paso and UT San Antonio participate in the CyberCorps® Scholarship For Service (SFS) program, which is designed to increase and strengthen the cadre of federal information assurance professionals that protect the government’s critical information infrastructure.

In addition to President Biden and Chancellor Milliken, participants in the White House Cybersecurity Summit included:

Biden Administration

• Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo

• Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm

• Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas

• SBA Administrator Isabel Guzman

• National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan

• Director of the National Economic Council Brian Deese

• Senior Advisor and Director of the Office of Public Engagement Cedric Richmond

• Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technology Anne Neuberger

• National Cyber Director Chris Inglis

• Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Director Jen Easterly

Financial

• Bank of America – Brian Moynihan, President and CEO

• JPMorgan Chase – Jamie Dimon, Chair and CEO

• TIAA – Thasunda Brown Duckett, President and CEO

• US Bancorp – Andrew Cecere, Chair, President & Chief Executive Officer

Energy and Water

• American Water – Walter Lynch – President and CEO

• ConocoPhillips – Ryan Lance, Chair and CEO

• Duke Energy – Chair, President and CEO

• PG&E – Patti Poppe, CEO

• SJW Group – Eric Thornburg, CEO

• Southern Company – Tom Fanning, Chair, President and CEO

• Williams – Alan Armstrong, President and CEO

Tech

• ADP – Carlos Rodriguez, President and CEO

• Alphabet (Google) – Sundar Pichai, CEO

• Amazon – Andy Jassy, CEO

• Apple – Tim Cook, CEO

• IBM – Dr. Arvind Krishna, Chair and CEO

• Microsoft – Satya Nadella, Chair and CEO

Insurance

• Coalition – Joshua Motta, Founder and CEO

• Resilience – Vishaal Hariprasad, CEO

• Travelers – Alan Schnitzer, Chair and CEO

• Vantage Group Holdings – Greg Hendrick, CEO

Education

• Code.org – Hadi Partovi

• Girls Who Code – Dr. Tarika Barrett

• Tougaloo College – Dr. Carmen Walters, President

• Whatcom Community College – Dr. Kathi Hiyane-Brown, President