Area leaders announce name for cybersecurity center at Union Station
From left, STCC President John B. Cook, Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno, U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, Springfield Redevelopment chair Armando Feliciano and CyberTrust CEO Peter Sherlock.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – At a construction project walk-through on March 26, regional leaders unveiled a name for the cybersecurity center at Union Station: The Richard E. Neal Cybersecurity Center of Excellence.
Announced by a group that included STCC President Dr. John B. Cook and Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, the name honors Congressman Neal and his commitment to leading-edge cybersecurity education and the betterment of Union Station. Neal, who provided a tour of the center currently under construction, led a funding effort in 2023 that resulted in $3 million of Congressionally Directed Spending to establish the Cybersecurity Center.
“This is a great honor, one that I am particularly proud of knowing that this Cybersecurity Center for Excellence will have a profound impact on local students for years to come,” Neal said. “This project marks several noteworthy feats for our region. As one of just two cybersecurity centers in the state, this technological hub will invest in the brightest young minds in our region, giving them the resources needed to learn how to combat these threats, and shoring up the resiliency of our cybersecurity in western Massachusetts. With the opening of the Cybersecurity Center for Excellence, we are also celebrating a historic milestone in this historic building: 100 percent occupancy of Union Station’s main concourse. Springfield Union Station has re-established the City of Springfield as the crossroads of New England, and it will soon serve as home to a state-of-the-art cybersecurity training center that will greatly benefit our region.”
The Cybersecurity Center also is supported by a $1.46 million state grant and $500,000 from the City of Springfield. It is one of two such centers to be established in the state. The other is situated at Bridgewater State University.
The Richard E. Neal Cybersecurity Center of Excellence in Springfield, scheduled to open later this year, will serve as a dynamic hub for advancing cybersecurity awareness, education, innovation and battling global security threats. The 6,000-square-foot facility will include a cyber range, which is a simulated training environment, and security operations center, which is envisioned as a support service for Massachusetts municipalities, as well as regional businesses, to detect cybersecurity events in real time and respond quickly.
Sarno thanked Neal – a former Springfield mayor – for continuing to support the city.
“Once a mayor always the heart of a mayor, Congressman Richard Neal continues to provide exemplary leadership on behalf of our city of Springfield and Union Station – the house that Neal built,” Sarno said.
This is a great honor, one that I am particularly proud of knowing that this Cybersecurity Center for Excellence will have a profound impact on local students for years to come.Richard E. Neal, U.S. Representative, 1st District
“This transformative and dynamic Cybersecurity Center of Excellent at Union Station, which supports my administration’s workforce development objectives and where my administration invested $500,000 of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding, which Congressman Neal also helped to secure direct funding to our communities, is a vital and intricate component and initiative to enhance and create more of that good four-letter word, jobs.
“I cannot think of a more deserving honor than dedicating the Cybersecurity Center to our Congressman, Richard E. Neal. Congressman Neal, you continue to build upon your tremendous legacy and on behalf of the city of Springfield we thank you for your continued leadership and advocacy on the federal level.”
The facility will serve as a regional center for Western Massachusetts and beyond. The Cybersecurity Center is a collaboration between STCC, the Springfield Redevelopment Authority and CyberTrust Massachusetts.
“Under the leadership of Congressman Neal, the collaboration of government, business and higher education leaders in western Massachusetts has been critical to our statewide initiative to grow and diversify the cyber workforce and address the security needs of the region’s cities, towns, nonprofits and businesses,” said CyberTrust CEO Peter Sherlock. “With its state-of-the-art cyber range, educational facilities and security operations center, this cyber center of excellence is a world-class resource to serve the region’s people and institutions.”
Students who train at the CCE will have access to paid internships in preparation for employment where they would work with professionals to confront cybersecurity threats, a growing global problem. The cybersecurity industry needs more trained professionals to help prevent incursions and defeat security threats; the Neal Center of Excellence will help fill the demand.
Cook, STCC’s president, continued to express his appreciation as well as enthusiasm given alignment with STCC's mission of accessible and dynamic education and workforce development.
"Congressman Neal has long been a supporter of STCC, of Springfield and our regional needs. We are grateful for his dedication to driving innovation and excellence in cybersecurity, and for leading the collaboration that is making this center a reality” Cook said. “Thank you, Congressman Neal, for making this center possible, and helping to advance the technical mission of STCC.”
The Richard E. Neal Cybersecurity Center of Excellence will offer a wide range of programs and resources, including but not limited to:
- Cutting-edge cyber range training;
- Internships and industry partnerships that build experience and career networks;
- Research opportunities that establish best practices combined with emerging technologies; and
- Community outreach and education forums to raise awareness about cybersecurity risks and solutions.
The Cybersecurity Center will work to ensure access for underrepresented communities into the industry, with a particular effort to draw women and students of color to the field. STCC’s programs, including degrees in Cybersecurity, Programming and Computer Systems Engineering, represents over 200 students who could train at the CCE as part of their degree or certificate
Interested in applying to STCC? Visit stcc.edu/apply or call Admissions at (413) 755-3333.
About Springfield Technical Community College
STCC, the Commonwealth's only technical community college, continues the pioneering legacy of the Springfield Armory with comprehensive and technical education in manufacturing, STEM, healthcare, business, social services, and the liberal arts. STCC's highly regarded workforce, certificate, degree, and transfer programs are the most affordable in Springfield and provide unequaled opportunity for the vitality of Western Massachusetts. Founded in 1967, the college – a designated Hispanic Serving Institution – seeks to close achievement gaps among students who traditionally face societal barriers. STCC supports students as they transform their lives through intellectual, cultural, and economic engagement while becoming thoughtful, committed and socially responsible graduates.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Jim Danko, (413) 755-4812, jdanko@stcc.edu