“While the award bears my name, it truly represents the collective achievements of our remarkable students, dedicated faculty, and supportive industry partners,” she said.
Yuan received the award at the 14th annual Cyber Security Summit in Minneapolis, at an event which brought together cybersecurity professionals and students from across the nation together. She was joined by six students from Stout, who were awarded summit scholarships to attend the ceremony.
As for receiving the Visionary Academic Leadership Award for her role at Stout, Yuan said, “This nomination, which came from one of our own graduates, reflects how we’ve built strong relationships between our program and industry partners. It shows that our approach of combining theoretical knowledge with practical skills is working. Our students are securing impressive roles in the field, and employers are actively seeking out our graduates. The award really validates our program’s direction and the impact we’re having on the cybersecurity workforce.”
Continuing, she said, “In today’s world, where digital transformation and AI revolution are reshaping every aspect of our lives, cybersecurity education has become more critical than ever. It’s no longer just about training IT professionals — it’s about safeguarding our critical infrastructure, protecting personal data, and ensuring national security.
The rapid evolution of threats, particularly with the emergence of AI technologies, means we need professionals who can adapt quickly and think creatively. Through our program at Stout, we’re preparing students not just for today’s challenges, but for tomorrow’s threats, especially as AI continues to transform both defensive and offensive cybersecurity measures.”
Yuan said the strengths of their program come from a hands-on approach to education, which is a key aspect of Stout’s title as a polytechnic university.
On top of the work of their Cybersecurity Research and Outreach Center (CyROC), she said that the impact of Stout’s cybersecurity program include workshops and symposiums which connect with community college instructors, cyber defense competitions against other UW-System schools and partnerships along with internship opportunities with industries and organizations.
“Beyond teaching cybersecurity and computer networking, I want students to develop the confidence to tackle complex challenges and the adaptability to keep pace with evolving threats,” said Yuan. “Most importantly, I want to instill a lifelong learning mindset — because in cybersecurity, learning never stops. When our graduates leave Stout, I want them to be not just job-ready, but prepared to be leaders and innovators who can adapt to and shape the future of cybersecurity.”
©2024 the Leader-Telegram (Eau Claire, Wis.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
