DoW CIO Challenges Academia to Join the "Front Lines" of Cyber Defense at NCAE Symposium

April 29, 2026, PITTSBURGH, Pa. –

The Department of War (DoW) Chief Information Officer (CIO) opened the premier annual National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C) Community Symposium yesterday by challenging universities to join the "front lines" of the nation's cyber defense. Welcoming over 800 top academic and government leaders from nearly 500 designated institutions across the country, this vital gathering runs through May 1 and serves as the primary collaborative space for academia and government to actively address the critical cyber workforce gap.

“In the Department of War, we are embarking on a bold transformation to ensure our technological ecosystem provides a decisive warfighting advantage,” said Hon. Kirsten Davies. “Our goal is to achieve data supremacy and decision dominance on the battlefields of today and tomorrow.”

In his keynote address to the symposium, Scott Nelson, acting principal director for the DoW’s Cyber Academic Engagement Office (CAEO), emphasized the urgency of turning academic excellence into operational strength. “This symposium is where we turn collaboration into actionable strategies,” Nelson stated. “By recognizing new centers of excellence and pioneering agile curricula, we are actively closing the cyber workforce gap and securing our future.”

Expanding the Cyber Talent Pipeline

During the event, the DoW officially designated 28 new universities as National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity. These institutions join an elite network of over 490 schools recognized for meeting rigorous standards in cyber curricula and research.

Designation	Academic Focus Area
Cyber Defense (CAE-CD)	Protecting and securing network infrastructures.
Cyber Operations (CAE-CO)	Deeply technical, interdisciplinary computer science and engineering.
Cyber Research (CAE-R)	Advanced and innovative cybersecurity research.
Cyber AI (CAE-CAI)	New: Curricula specifically dedicated to artificial intelligence.

The ASCEND "Shark Tank" Finale

A major highlight of the symposium is the ASCEND (Aligned Skills Curriculum and Experiential Network Design) competition. Moving away from traditionally lengthy development timelines, ASCEND uses a competitive "Shark Tank" format to source agile educational models for AI and cybersecurity.

The competition culminates on May 1, where the following five finalists will pitch their designs to a panel of DoW experts:

University of Maine at Augusta
Anderson University
University of Wisconsin-Stout
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
San Jose State University

The top three designs will receive cash prizes and serve as the official blueprint for a DoW solicitation to build scalable learning frameworks across the nation.

Through presentations, workshops, and collaborative sessions, this week’s Symposium aims to build vital bridges across academia, government, and industry to achieve the President’s goal of peace through strength and enable a new Golden Age of American prosperity.

Social Media Feed

Clockwise from upper left: Ms. Ayanna Baker (Cyber Human Capital Program Analyst), Mrs. Marci McCarthy (DoW CIO Director of External Engagements), Acting Secretary of Labor The Honorable Keith Sonderling, and Ms. Chimia Nelson (DoW CIO Program Director); Seated: DoL Acting

The Department of War CIO announces the launch of our new DoW Cyber Registered Apprenticeship Program (#CyberRAP). Yesterday, during the National Apprenticeship Week signing ceremony at the Department of Labor, Mrs. Marci McCarthy, Director of External Engagements, kicked off the https://t.co/qRJT5sfZyM

🦅 @DeptofWar CIO, the Honorable Kirsten Davies, joined the 71st Siouxland/Washington Conference & Steak Reception, sharing an inspiring message of collaboration 🤝 with Senate and Congressional members and the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce. Emphasizing the vital partnership https://t.co/eSXro6KLT7

Moving at the speed of war! 🦅 Yesterday at the Potomac Officers Club Digital Transformation Summit, DoW CIO Hon. Kirsten Davies delivered a powerhouse keynote to defense and industry leaders that are moving at the speed of war to deliver capabilities to our Warfighters that are https://t.co/uN7gmstX6B

@DeptofWar, the Honorable Kirsten Davies, formally announces the onboarding of five new senior leaders to the team today. Read more at: https://t.co/UUcM1GUGUV https://t.co/08puLxMVKw

The Hon. Kirsten Davies drove home the sense of urgency she feels to make lasting change for the Warfighter and the nation. This is “not business as usual,” as significant changes are underway in how the @DeptofWar develops IT and cyber tools. Under the leadership of @POTUS and https://t.co/nwyGhf6yHf

The DoW CIO, Hon Kirsten Davies, is pleased to announce that Mrs. Marci McCarthy (@marcimccarthyUS) has been appointed as the new Office of the CIO Director of External Engagements. Mrs. McCarthy will be responsible for shaping our strategic communications and leading our https://t.co/OeE4e11ufg

The DoW CIO is excited to announce Ms. Kayla Huthoefer Nelson as our new Chief of Staff. In this role she will support executive decision-making, organizational coordination, and leadership priorities across the @DeptofWar information, technology, and digital modernization https://t.co/kZZnHGqgzE

Hon. Kirsten Davies, @DeptofWar CIO, highlighted the focus driving enterprise transformation during her testimony at the House Armed Services Committee Cyber, Information Technologies, and Innovation (CITI) subcommittee. This effort will reshape all facets of our programs, https://t.co/uv3wvPVh8L

Last week, at the Cyber Workforce Summit 2.0 (#CWS2.0) portfolio managers from the @DeptofWar CIO’s Workforce Innovation Directorate (WID) led discussions that highlighted the Department’s coordination with private industry. Ms. Chimia Nelson, Talent Management Branch Chief and https://t.co/CHV0Va0mGe

Hon. Kirsten Davies, DoW CIO, testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee Cybersecurity Subcommittee on March 24th discussing Pillar 2: Agile Digital Capabilities of the @DeptofWar strategy to make our Warfighters the most lethal in the world and support @SecWar https://t.co/1saxyXrsxY

During her testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee Cybersecurity Subcommittee on March 24, Hon. Davies, United States Department of War CIO, outlined a strategy for transformation that supports Secretary Hegseth's Arsenal of Freedom and the National Defense Strategy. https://t.co/2olJlWXt44

IMPORTANT REMINDER Applications for the 2025-2026 DoW Cyber Workforce Rotational Programs cohort are closing in ONE MONTH on April 24, 2026! Eligibility for this program is open to Department of War civilians, other federal agency civilians, and industry employees in https://t.co/GeajEDVTNM

The @DeptofWar CIO is excited to invite government leaders, technical experts, mission partners, and industry collaborators to the 2026-1 US DOW Mission Partner Environment (MPE) Summit, 14-16 April 2026 in Fort Lauderdale, FL. We’ve partnered with the @DISADOD to host a https://t.co/976mSVptUb

Proposals for the CAEO’s Aligned Skills Curriculum and Experiential Network Design Framework (ASCEND) Initiative are due in ONE WEEK! Winners receive a cash prize and mentorship from leading academics through the grant lifecycle. See image for details. Submission Guidelines: https://t.co/bXdqVvYOHJ

We are officially ONE WEEK away from Cyber Workforce Summit 2.0 (#CWS2.0)! Take a look at our event agenda, and thank you to our anticipated participants, and scheduled guest speakers, for making this Summit possible! Please visit https://t.co/7VccjEYYOC to register and start https://t.co/TXCZA4vAC3

The @DeptofWar CIO's Cyber Academic Engagement Office (#CAEO) seeks proposals for the Aligned Skills Curriculum and Experiential Network Design Framework (ASCEND) Initiative. Winners receive a cash prize and mentorship from leading academics through the grant lifecycle. See https://t.co/GH6izQ4fM4

On February 27th, 2026, Mr. James “Aaron” Bishop was announced as the political appointee who is going to be named to the role of Deputy CIO (DCIO) for Cybersecurity (CS) and the Chief Information Security Officer (#CISO) for the @DeptofWar (DoW). The DCIO(CS)-CISO is a https://t.co/0j29vJgmir

7,057

In the News

DoW CIO Challenges Academia to Join the "Front Lines" of Cyber Defense at NCAE Symposium

Social Media Feed