Science and Engineering Growth

SCIENCE, ENGINEERING

By Jenna Johnson/Photos by Richard Esposito

PROGRAMS GROWING

Charleston Southern broke ground this summer on a new science and engineering building to house its growing academic programs. The 17,500-squarefoot space will be completed in phases and includes labs, office space, and work rooms. CSU plans to expand the building in future phasing to 28,000-square-feet total.

The project is a result of the launch of CSU’s 2020-2025 strategic plan in January. CSU President Dr. Dondi Costin stated that the plan was designed to guarantee that everything CSU does helps students become the servant leaders God wants them to be.

“Regardless of job title or position on the organization chart, servant leadership is influencing your team to accomplish its mission for the good of others and the glory of God,” he said. “One of our goals is to ‘attract and engage a vibrant student body.’ This means developing programs that meet marketplace needs.”

Programs such as cybersecurity, aeronautics, and engineering reflect that commitment. See pages 6 and 7 for more updates.

Cybersecurity

The first to do so in the Lowcountry, CSU launched a Bachelor of Science in cybersecurity in fall 2017 with the support of area companies to meet industry demands. A Charleston Metro Chamber study estimated that 243 IT security analyst positions will open within the decade, yet only 16% of those jobs would be filled by local college graduates.

Todd Lant, vice president of IT at Blackbaud, said that he was encouraged to see focus placed on developing industry-prepared, qualified graduates in cybersecurity. “This degree program is an important step in developing critical talent to support the growth of competitive businesses in our region,” he said in a 2017 interview with CSU.

“We want students who graduate from CSU to still be relevant in this field 30 years later,” Dr. Valerie Sessions, affiliate professor of computer science, said.

The cybersecurity program experienced exponential growth. In just three years, the first class of eight students has rapidly

Future science and engineering building rising on west side of campus.

grown to over 30. “The U.S. Bureau of Labor predicts that in the next 10 years, the job market related to cybersecurity is going to raise 28%,” Dr. Yu-Ju Lin, director of graduate studies in computer science, said, “If a student comes to our program, they definitely have a lot of jobs waiting for them.”

Recent graduates of CSU’s cybersecurity program have pursued careers in the defense sector, finding employment at the Naval Information Warfare Center. One of Lin’s students was recently hired at J.P. Morgan, reportedly selected over Yale and Harvard grads.

CSU maintains support from and partners with companies and organizations such as The Palmetto Roost, Charleston Women in Tech, NIWC, The Next IT Girl, Blackbaud and Benefitfocus. Learn more about this growing program at charlestonsouthern.edu/ cybersecurity.

Engineering

Last fall, the College of Science and Mathematics launched a Bachelor of Science in engineering degree program due to the growing demand of prospective and current

students. Prior to fall 2019, CSU offered an applied mathematics/engineering program in cooperation with Clemson University, University of South Carolina, and The Citadel. Students would complete a three-year liberal arts program at CSU before transferring to one of those partner institutions for two years to complete the engineering courses. Upon completion, those graduates are awarded a BS in applied mathematics from Charleston Southern and an engineering degree from the partner institution.

Two degrees in five years—not a bad deal. Current student Keara Walsh is in the 3+2 program and will transfer to The Citadel for her final two years to achieve an electrical engineering degree. She plans to work in the medical equipment field upon graduation and said CSU has prepared her well for the engineering aspects of the program.

“CSU is the perfect fit for me. Not only has this school pushed me to work harder than I ever have, CSU also greatly improved my confidence and my work ethic,” Walsh said.

Even with the benefits, Dr. Andrew Blauch, chair of CSU’s Engineering Depart-