A former director of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, retired Lt. Gen. Ronald L. Burgess Jr., will speak at Nichols College at 2:15 p.m. Tuedsay, about cybersecurity threats to the United States.
The free presentation, sponsored by the college's Master of Science in Counterterrorism program, will be held in Davis Hall, Room 205/207, on Center Road.
In “The Cyber Threat and Way Ahead,” Lt. Gen. Burgess will address the roles government, private and public companies, and academia can play in combating cyber threats to U.S. national security in an interconnected world. He will take questions from the audience after the talk.
“Nichols College Graduate & Professional Studies is honored to host Lt. General Burgess,” said Allison McDowell-Smith, director of the counterterrorism graduate program.
The Master of Science in Counterterrorism degree program is in its 10th month. As of this semester, there are 15 students enrolled in the program, according to the college.
During his 38-year career in the U.S. Army, and now as senior counsel for National Security Programs, Cyber Programs and Military Affairs at Auburn University in Alabama, Lt. Gen. Burgess serves as a driving force in the U.S. intelligence community to safeguard national security interests.
As head of the Defense Intelligence Agency during the George W. Bush administration and a former acting principal deputy director of national intelligence during Barack Obama's presidency, Lt. Gen. Burgess was a key player in the national security arena and was called upon by the presidents and Congress for his expertise. His leadership skills were used to focus the Defense Intelligence Agency on the greatest challenges confronting the United States at the time: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, transnational terrorism, and preventing strategic surprises elsewhere around the world.
U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn, who resigned in February 2017 as national security advisor under President Donald Trump, succeeded the retiring Lt. Gen. Burgess as director of the Defense Intelligence Agency in 2012.
Becker’s police chief discussed campus safety on Capitol Hill
David Bousquet, chief of police at Becker College, and president of International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators, recently led a delegation of campus law enforcement officers to Capitol Hill for a discussion on safety issues. Topics covered included authority over sexual assault investigations, enhanced efforts to protect students from gender violence on campus, changes affecting campus public safety operations as the Higher Education Act goes through reauthorization, and campus safety reporting requirements.
The delegation also pressed for consideration of the Sean Collier Act, named for the MIT police officer killed in the manhunt for the Boston Marathon bombers, which would provide federal line-of-duty death benefits to families of slain campus public safety officers at private institutions.
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The official portrait of Jim Vander Hooven, president of Mount Wachusett Community College, was unveiled at the college’s presidential inauguration Thursday. The portrait is a donation to the college by Michael Stone, a Worcester-based portrait artist.
Lunch & Learn talk at WSU deals with stress
Kristen Lee will offer a talk called "Reset: Make the Most of Your Stress," at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at Worcester State University in the Wellness Center, Room 204. Ms. Lee is a Worcester State alumna and a leading expert on resilience and behavioral science.
The event is free and open to all, but space is limited. RSVP to [email protected].