Greenville, SC – ECPI University is proud to announce it has received the SC Cyber Award for Excellence in Academia. SC Cyber is a statewide consortium of government, academia, and industry throughout South Carolina with a mission to develop talent, techniques, and tools to defend the connected infrastructure within South Carolina and the United States. 

At its annual summit, SC Cyber recognizes deserving government, industry, and academic organizations that demonstrate excellence within their sector. “ECPI University has been a strong leader in providing students with valued educational and experiential learning opportunities,” says SC Cyber Executive Director Tom Scott. “Congratulations to them on their recent announcement of being named a National Security Agency Center of Academic Excellence!"

Designation Signifies Excellence in Cyber and Network Security Education

Virginia Beach, VA – ECPI University is proud to announce that it has been designated a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CD) by the National Security Agency (NSA) and U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The goal of the program is to reduce vulnerability within the national information infrastructure by promoting higher education and research in cyber defense and producing professionals with cyber defense expertise for the nation. 

Earning this designation requires that schools meet stringent CAE criteria and mapping curricula to a core set of cyber defense knowledge units. Requirements focus on: 

• Course Content and Relevance
• Laboratories
• Faculty Involvement 

Will Compete Nationwide in World’s Fastest Growing Sport

Virginia Beach, VA – ECPI University is proud to announce it is forming an eSports team that will be the first in Hampton Roads to play at the intercollegiate level. Competing as the ECPI University Rams, it has joined the National Association of Collegiate eSports (NACE) where it will face up to 87 other colleges and universities across the nation. 

“ECPI University is so excited to have an eSports term,” says team coach and Associate Dean of Academic Technology Gerry White. “It just makes sense for our school, being so forward thinking with technology, to also help and shape the future of eSports.” 

Tryouts are for the Rams are set for June 22 and 23. Each student that makes the team will receive a scholarship of between $1,000 and $5,000. “ECPI University has a longstanding tradition of leading the way locally and nationally for non-traditional learning and success,” says team manager and ECPI University Director of Web Services Mike Glover. “It only makes sense that we would lead the way with the first eSports Varsity team in Hampton Roads.” 

For those unfamiliar with the eSports phenomena, it is developing at an exponential rate. No longer confined to local banquet halls, these events are now full-blown spectator sports, selling out venues like Madison Square Garden and Staples Center. And experts say this is just the beginning.

Free Build-It-Yourself Drone Kit Will Put New Skills to the Test

Richmond, VA – Nine Chesterfield Technical Center (CTC) students have spent part of their spring semester dividing their time between their own school and ECPI University’s Richmond/Moorefield campus. They’re dual-enrollment students taking EET 231, Introduction to Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs). It’s a hands-on learning experience designed to develop skills that can be directly applied in the advanced manufacturing workplace. 

“We’ve been talking about how PLCs are used to start and stop motors, and also regulate industrial motor control,” says faculty member Dr. Paul Nussbaum “More and more, industrial motor speed control is being handled digitally, and so we were talking about DC (Direct Current) motor control through PWM (Pulse Width Modulation). 

“Recently, we were talking about their interests, and pretty much across the board they are interested in drones. Drones use small motors and use digital speed control, so it seemed like a perfect way to integrate what they are learning.”  

With that in mind, Campus President Matt Grinsell decided to make their experience especially memorable. So, he purchased “Build-It-Yourself” Drone Kits for each student. The CTC students will arrive for their big surprise at the ECPI University campus, located at 800 Moorefield Park Drive in Richmond, on Friday, April 20 at 10:00 am and will depart at 12:00 pm. 

Hundreds of Students Expected to Visit Lab Showcasing Advanced Manufacturing Technology

Virginia Beach, VA – Ray Ray is a 4-year-old Beagle who got his foot caught in a trap. By the time he was rescued, it was too late. Veterinarians were forced to amputate part of his leg. Fortunately for Ray Ray, his new owners have a friend at ECPI University who put them in touch with Vedat Aksoy, director of CAD and graphics at the Virginia Beach campus. 

Mr. Aksoy saw this as an excellent opportunity to provide a real-world learning experience for his Capstone class and help an animal in need, all at the same time. He challenged his students to design and build Ray Ray a new prosthetic limb, by using their newly-learned skills in CAD software, design, and 3D printing. 

On Wednesday, November 1 at 5 pm, Ray Ray will visit campus – located at 5555 Greenwich Road – to have his new limb fitted. Media wishing to attend may contact ECPI Director of Marketing at 757.490.9090 or publicrelations@ecpi.edu.