BBG Tech: Marshall University’s Cybersecurity Center Breaks Ground

By Aiden Satterfield

As I am starting my Internship in Washington with Senator Manchin during his last summer on Capitol Hill, I found my home state doing something amazing in cybersecurity. Marshall University, my older brother Myles’ alma mater, is taking a significant step toward becoming a national cybersecurity education and defense leader.

Myles was a part of one of the first graduating classes of their well-known digital forensics and information assurance program.  On Friday, May 17, school administrators, state officials, and members of the public gathered to break ground on the university’s new cybersecurity center. The event was marked by a row of people in formal attire, each holding a green-handled shovel, symbolizing the university’s colors, and scooping dirt from a miniature trough as onlookers applauded according to a WCHS live stream I was able to watch.

Backed by $45 million in state funding, the new building on Marshall’s Huntington campus will be home to the Institute for Cyber Security and the National Center of Excellence for Cyber Security in Critical Infrastructure. This initiative, supported by the United States Cyber Command, the Joint Force Headquarters Department of Defense Information Network, and “rival” West Virginia University, aims to prepare students to tackle emerging national security and infrastructure issues.

Established in 2021, the Institute for Cyber Security focuses on providing top-tier cybersecurity education and research. The new center will enhance these efforts by offering state-of-the-art classroom and lab spaces designed to foster innovation and practical skills among students. Additionally, the collaboration with federal and state entities will provide a unique opportunity for students to engage in real-world cybersecurity defense activities.

“This center will bolster our cybersecurity workforce, both now and in the future, making West Virginia a hub for cybersecurity protection of our country’s most critical assets,” said Senator Shelley Moore Capito, who delivered remarks during the groundbreaking ceremony.

Toney Stroud, Marshall’s Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, emphasized the center’s importance in addressing the ever-evolving landscape of cyber threats. “Not only will this lay the ground to start protecting the national critical infrastructure of our country, but it will also help with emerging threats that come our way,” Stroud noted.

University President Brad D. Smith highlighted the recognition that Marshall’s cybersecurity program has received on a national level, including winning national competitions in 2020 and the appointment of Marshall professor Dr. Josh Brunty who I was able to interact with during my time at one of their GenCyber cybersecurity camps back in middle school serves as the U.S. Cyber Team coach. These achievements have drawn attention from the Department of Defense and other federal agencies, solidifying Marshall’s reputation as a leader in cybersecurity education.

The new center will also serve as a strategic location for the Department of Defense to monitor and defend against cyber threats. Lt. Gen. Robert J. Skinner, the United States Cyber Commander, pointed out the advantage of Huntington’s proximity to Washington, D.C., while also tapping into talent from outside major urban areas. “There’s a lot of talent outside of big cities, and that’s what we want to harvest and leverage,” Skinner stated.

Senator Capito, who has been instrumental in securing the funding and support for this project, expressed her enthusiasm about the center’s potential impact. “It’s much bigger than what I could’ve imagined. It’s not going to just be a beautiful building. It’s going to have top-notch creativity within it,” she said.

The construction of the cybersecurity center is expected to be completed by the fall of 2026. Once operational, it will stand at the corner of Hal Greer and 4th Avenue in Huntington, near the new business school.

“We’ve always been the first to answer the call,” President Smith remarked. “When our nation needs us, we respond, and now we need to be able to defend cyberspace. We are stepping up again as West Virginians in defending the United States of America.”

The launch of this cybersecurity center represents a significant milestone for Marshall University and most importantly the state of West Virginia, promising to create a hub of innovation, education, and national security defense.

Aiden Satterfield is a cybersecurity student and athlete at Walsh University, and a native West Virginian.
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