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When the Farmer School of Business sought someone to be the first FSB Director of Cybersecurity Initiatives, it didn’t have to go far to find a good match for the role. Joseph Nwankpa is an assistant professor of information systems and analytics at the Farmer School.

“One of the things that we do in the Farmer School of Business is to make sure that we are up-to-date with what is happening in the industry, and right now, everybody has concerns about cybersecurity,” he said. “We want to bring information from the industry side into our curriculum so that our students will be cybersecurity-conscious, will understand the challenges, and will recognize the threats.”

In his new role, Nwankpa is tasked with:

• Leading efforts within the Department of Information Systems and Analytics to develop unique cybersecurity programs for Farmer School students
• Identifying ways to better integrate cybersecurity into the curriculum throughout the Farmer School
• Launching and maintaining a cybersecurity speaker series and co-curricular programs to inform faculty and students about cybersecurity and engage them in activities focused on the business aspects of cybersecurity
• Encouraging faculty research in cybersecurity-related topics
• Building relationships with external stakeholders in cybersecurity

“My position will allow me to not only reach out to the industries and understand the threats, but also look at how we can be able to input cybersecurity initiatives in a multi-disciplinary standpoint,” he said. “Cybersecurity is no longer an information technology problem. Even if you're a finance major or marketing major, this is the reality that you're going to face in everyday transactions and everyday responsibilities that you have.”