Johnston Community College

HIGHER EDUCATION RAPID RELIEF FUND-HEI/INSTITUTIONS

HIGHER EDUCATION EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND

STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES (SSS)

STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES PROGRAM

STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES PROGRAM

TRIO - STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES - STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES PROGRAM

IMPLEMENTING A SIMULATED CYBER RANGE TRAINING ENVIRONMENT TO PREPARE CYBER TECHNICIANS -THIS PROJECT AIMS TO SERVE THE NATIONAL INTEREST BY INTEGRATING A STATE-OF-THE-ART CYBER RANGE INTO A CYBERSECURITY PROGRAM AT JOHNSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE (JCC). THIS PROJECT INTENDS TO PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH HANDS-ON EXPERIENCES OF LIVE-FIRE CYBERATTACKS. THE STUDENTS AT JCC WILL VALIDATE AND SHOWCASE THEIR ACQUIRED SKILL THROUGH THE PROPOSED BADGING SYSTEM WHILE EARNING CREDENTIALS ALONGSIDE THEIR DEGREE PROGRAM. THIS PROJECT INTENDS TO PROVIDE A SAFE AND REAL-WORLD TRAINING ENVIRONMENT. THE PROJECT TEAM PLANS TO SHARE THEIR CYBERSECURITY CURRICULUM WITH OTHER COMMUNITY COLLEGES AND FOSTER POTENTIAL COLLABORATIONS WITH OTHERS. IN ADDITION, THE PROJECT TEAM PLANS TO HIRE SKILLED FEMALE CANDIDATES AND OFFER OPPORTUNITIES TO INDIVIDUALS WITH BACKGROUNDS IN IT/CYBERSECURITY, SUCH AS VETERANS WITH SECURITY CLEARANCES AND PEOPLE WITH HEARING LOSS DUE TO THEIR MILITARY SERVICES. THIS PROJECT HAS THREE GOALS: 1) CREATING A HANDS-ON CYBERSECURITY TRAINING RANGE TO PREPARE TECHNICIANS FOR INDUSTRY, 2) INCREASING FEMALE ENROLLMENT IN CYBERSECURITY, AND 3) IMPROVING THE KNOWLEDGE AND INCLUSIVENESS OF CYBERSECURITY FACULTY AND ADMINISTRATORS FOR THE DEAF AND HARD-OF-HEARING COMMUNITY. STUDENTS WILL HAVE CHANCES TO ACCESS AND UTILIZE THE TECHNOLOGY HUB AT THE NORTH CAROLINA RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK TO EXPLORE REGIONAL CAREER OPPORTUNITIES. THE PROJECT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO ADDRESS TALENT PIPELINE AND DIVERSITY ISSUES, AND TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF SKILLED WOMEN, VETERANS AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN THIS FIELD. THIS PROJECT IS FUNDED BY THE ADVANCED TECHNOLOGICAL EDUCATION PROGRAM, FOCUSING ON EDUCATING TECHNICIANS FOR ADVANCED-TECHNOLOGY FIELDS THAT DRIVE THE NATION'S ECONOMY. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

EXPANDING A MULTI-SKILLED STEM TECHNICIAN PIPELINE TO MEET INDUSTRY NEEDS -JOHNSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE?S (JCC) EXPANDING A MULTI-SKILLED STEM TECHNICIAN PIPELINE TO MEET INDUSTRY NEEDS ?BIO BLEND 2.0? SEEKS TO BETTER PREPARE STUDENTS TO MEET BIOTECHNOLOGY COMPANY HIRING NEEDS AND TO IMPROVE EMPLOYMENT OUTCOMES FOR UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS, SPECIFICALLY FOCUSING OUR RECRUITMENT OF NEURODIVERSE INDIVIDUALS ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM. JCC IS LOCATED ONE HOUR SOUTH OF RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK IN NORTH CAROLINA, WHERE THE DEMAND FOR WELL-TRAINED AND DIVERSE BIOPHARMA TECHNICIANS IS GROWING AND EXCEEDING THE NUMBER OF TECHNICIANS CURRENTLY PRODUCED FROM LOCAL AND REGIONAL COMMUNITY COLLEGES. BIO BLEND 2.0 WILL FURTHER MODIFY APPLIED ENGINEERING AND BIOPROCESS TECHNOLOGY CURRICULUM TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO DISTRIBUTED CONTROL SYSTEM SOFTWARE (DELTAV), WORK-BASED LEARNING, AND INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES WITH A GOAL OF ENROLLING 50 STUDENTS IN YEARS TWO AND THREE OF THIS PROJECT. THE PROJECT WILL BROADEN PARTICIPATION OF STUDENTS WITH AUTISM AT JCC BY 150%, LEADING TO GREATER PARTICIPATION OF NEURODIVERSE INDIVIDUALS IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATH (STEM) RELATED PROGRAMS. THIS THREE-YEAR PROJECT WILL PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR DELTAV CERTIFICATION, BIO BLEND CERTIFICATION, AND ASSOCIATES DEGREES IN APPLIED ENGINEERING AND BIOPROCESS TECHNOLOGY. PROJECT RESULTS WILL INCLUDE AN INCREASED NUMBER OF TRAINED TECHNICIANS FOR LOCAL PARTNERS WITH NATIONAL SCALABILITY FOR OTHER COLLEGES AND INDUSTRIES. BIO BLEND 2.0 SEEKS TO ACCOMPLISH THREE GOALS: 1) MODIFY BIO BLEND CURRICULUM, COURSE PROGRESSION, AND RESOURCES BASED ON STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK AND EXPAND TO ALL DEGREE STUDENTS ACROSS BOTH THE APPLIED ENGINEERING AND BIOPROCESS TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMS; 2) IMPROVE THE TALENT PIPELINE TO MEET WORKFORCE AND INDUSTRY NEEDS BY DEVELOPING A WORK-BASED LEARNING EXPERIENCE AND SOFT-SKILLS TRAINING; AND 3) INCREASE NEURODIVERSITY IN THE APPLIED ENGINEERING AND BIOPROCESS TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMS TO INCLUDE MORE INDIVIDUALS FROM THE AUTISM SPECTRUM. AS PART OF THE BIO BLEND 2.0 PROJECT, DELTAV, THE DISTRIBUTED CONTROL SYSTEM USED BY MANY BIOTECH COMPANIES, WILL BE EMBEDDED INTO THE CURRICULUM ACROSS BOTH PROGRAMS. THE PROJECT WILL ALSO INCREASE DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION AS IT RELATES TO THE NEURODIVERGENT POPULATION. THIS IS BASED ON LOCAL INDUSTRY FEEDBACK, UNEMPLOYMENT RATES FOR THIS POPULATION, AND FAMILIARITY WITH A SUCCESSFUL STEM PROGRAM SPECIFICALLY FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH AUTISM AT OTHER COLLEGES. FACULTY WILL RECEIVE TRAINING IN UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING (UDL) TO SUPPORT DIVERSE LEARNERS. JCC WILL ALSO OFFER SUMMER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATORS AND CAREER COUNSELORS TO STRENGTHEN THE PIPELINE FROM PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO POSTSECONDARY TECHNICIAN EDUCATION. INDUSTRY FEEDBACK THROUGH ADVISORY COUNCIL MEETINGS, CLASSROOM SUPPORT, AND ON-GOING COMMUNICATION WILL IMPROVE STUDENT ENGAGEMENT AND PROJECT OUTCOMES. JCC?S CAREER COACH WILL FACILITATE LEARNING COMMUNITIES FOR ALL STUDENTS WITH SPECIFIC FOCUS FOR NEURODIVERSE STUDENTS ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM. BIO BLEND 2.0 WILL ULTIMATELY PRODUCE A MORE DIVERSE AND TALENTED GROUP OF STUDENTS FROM APPLIED ENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY, READY TO ENTER THE WORKFORCE WITH HANDS-ON APPLICABLE EXPERIENCE AND CERTIFICATIONS TO FILL THE LOCAL INDUSTRY NEED. THIS PROJECT IS FUNDED BY THE ADVANCED TECHNOLOGICAL EDUCATION PROGRAM THAT FOCUSES ON THE EDUCATION OF TECHNICIANS FOR THE ADVANCED-TECHNOLOGY FIELDS THAT DRIVE THE NATION?S ECONOMY. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.

HIGHER EDUCATION EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND-STRENGTHENING INSTITUTIONS PROGRAM

INTEGRATING SOFT SKILLS WITH TECHNICAL SKILLS TO PRODUCE NEXT-GENERATION CYBERSECURITY TECHNICIANS -THIS PROJECT AIMS TO SERVE THE NATIONAL INTEREST BY PRODUCING MORE QUALIFIED TECHNICIANS TO MEET WORKFORCE DEMANDS IN CYBERSECURITY. KEEPING COMPUTERS AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS SECURE IS A CRITICAL NEED AND A MAJOR CHALLENGE IN BUSINESS, INDUSTRY, AND GOVERNMENT. THE GROWTH OF CYBER-THREATS HAS CREATED A NEED FOR MANY MORE WORKERS WHO HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS TO PROTECT BOTH EXISTING AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES. RESEARCH AND FEEDBACK FROM EMPLOYERS INDICATE THAT ALTHOUGH GRADUATES OF CYBERSECURITY PROGRAMS ARE GENERALLY WELL-PREPARED TECHNICALLY, THEIR SOFT SKILLS REMAIN UNDERDEVELOPED. (THIS ISSUE WAS EXACERBATED BY PRIMARILY VIRTUAL INTERACTIONS AND REMOTE WORK DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.) TO ADDRESS THIS GAP, THE INVESTIGATORS INTEND TO INTEGRATE THE TARGETED DEVELOPMENT OF SOFT SKILLS INTO CORE CYBERSECURITY COURSES THROUGH STRUCTURED TEAM-BASED ACTIVITIES, SIMULATIONS, AND COMPETITION-STYLE CHALLENGES. THE PROJECT WILL FOCUS ON FIVE COMPETENCIES THAT CYBERSECURITY PROFESSIONALS NEED IN THE WORKPLACE: COMMUNICATION, CRITICAL THINKING, PROBLEM-SOLVING, CONTINUOUS LEARNING, AND ATTENTION TO DETAIL. THE BUSINESS & INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP TEAM (BILT) THAT ADVISES THE COLLEGE'S CYBERSECURITY PROGRAM PRIORITIZED THESE SOFT SKILLS FOR ATTENTION. THE PROJECT TEAM WILL DIRECTLY EMBED THEM INTO COURSE ACTIVITIES, ASSIGNMENTS, AND ASSESSMENTS. SPECIFICALLY, THE INVESTIGATORS AIM TO REVISE FOUR EXISTING CYBERSECURITY COURSES -- INTRODUCTION TO CYBER CRIME, INTRODUCTION TO PROTOCOL ANALYSIS, SECURITY ADMINISTRATION, AND ETHICAL HACKING WITH PYTHON I -- TO INCLUDE MINI-MODULES AND CHALLENGE-BASED TEAM ASSIGNMENTS FOCUSING ON SOFT SKILLS. EACH COURSE WILL FOCUS ON ONE OR TWO OF THE FIVE TARGETED SOFT SKILLS, ENSURING THAT EACH ONE IS ADDRESSED IN-DEPTH WITHIN A TECHNICAL CONTEXT. EXAMPLES INCLUDE GROUP-BASED INCIDENT RESPONSE BRIEFINGS TO STRENGTHEN COMMUNICATION AND PROFESSIONALISM; PACKET ANALYSIS AND NETWORK TROUBLESHOOTING ACTIVITIES COMPLETED IN TEAMS TO PROMOTE TEAMWORK AND PROBLEM-SOLVING; AND ADAPTIVE POLICY RESPONSE SCENARIOS THAT ENCOURAGE FLEXIBILITY AND RESILIENCE. EACH COURSE WILL INCLUDE CLEAR LEARNING OUTCOMES, SOFT SKILL RUBRICS, AND FEEDBACK MECHANISMS TO ASSESS BOTH TECHNICAL AND INTERPERSONAL DEVELOPMENT. IN ADDITION, THE INVESTIGATORS AIM TO ESTABLISH A STUDENT CYBERSECURITY COMPETITION TEAM AS A CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITY AND TO BRING ELEMENTS OF CYBER-COMPETITION INTO THE CLASSROOM FOR ALL STUDENTS. THOSE ACTIVITIES WILL INCLUDE IN-CLASS SIMULATIONS MODELED ON CAPTURE-THE-FLAG OR RED TEAM/BLUE TEAM COMPETITIONS; STRUCTURED TEAM CHALLENGES WITH ROTATING ROLES TO DEVELOP COMMUNICATION AND ADAPTABILITY; AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR REFLECTION AND INSTRUCTOR FEEDBACK FOLLOWING SIMULATIONS OR LIVE DRILLS. BY EMBEDDING A FOCUSED SET OF SOFT SKILLS INTO CORE TECHNICAL COURSEWORK AND GROUNDING STUDENTS' EXPERIENCE IN COMPETITION-STYLE, GAMIFIED TEAM ACTIVITIES, THE REDESIGNED CYBERSECURITY PROGRAM WILL PROVIDE A COHERENT, HIGH-IMPACT APPROACH TO CYBERSECURITY EDUCATION THAT ALIGNS WITH WORKFORCE NEEDS AND PROMOTES STUDENT SUCCESS. THIS PROJECT IS FUNDED BY THE ADVANCED TECHNOLOGICAL EDUCATION PROGRAM, WHICH FOCUSES ON THE EDUCATION OF TECHNICIANS FOR THE ADVANCED-TECHNOLOGY FIELDS THAT DRIVE THE NATION'S ECONOMY. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

INTEGRATING BIOTECHNOLOGY AND APPLIED ENGINEERING TO MEET EMERGING ADVANCED TECHNOLOGICAL WORKFORCE NEEDS

STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES

DUAL ENROLLMENT TECHNICIAN PATHWAYS AND CAREERS IN ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING AND COMPUTER INTEGRATED MACHINING

TO SUPPORT THE OUR BACK DOOR PROJECT, AN INVITATION TO THE COMMUNITY TO ENGAGE IN A VARIETY OF ARTS PROGRAMMING.