Dr. Fan Wu is the head of Computer Science at Tuskegee University and director of the National Center of Information Assurance Education, with a WPI PhD and over 20 years of leadership advancing hands-on cybersecurity education and research.
Summary of the episode
Dr. Fan Wu discusses how Tuskegee University prepares cybersecurity students through a full BS–MS–PhD pathway, strong hands-on learning (labs, research, internships), and support programs that can reduce student debt.
He also highlights key trends like the growing overlap of cybersecurity with AI/data science and other emerging technologies, and advises students to build solid coding and teamwork skills.
Listen to the episode
Read a full transcript of the episode
Steve Bowcut:
Thank you for joining us today for the Cybersecurity Guide Podcast. My name is Steve Bowcut. I am a writer and an editor for Cybersecurity Guide and the podcast’s host. We appreciate your listening.
Welcome to the Cybersecurity Guide podcast where we help students and early career professionals navigate their path into the world of cybersecurity. I’m your host, Steven Bowcut.
Today, we are honored to be joined by Dr. Fan Wu, professor and head of the Department of Computer Science at Tuskegee University and the director of the National Center of Information Assurance Education.
Dr. Wu brings over two decades of experience in academia research and program leadership to his role, and he has been instrumental in the expanding tuskegee’s computing and cybersecurity offerings.
Dr. Wu earned his PhD in computer science at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and has built a distinguished career focused on high performance computing, data security, cybersecurity education, and distributed systems.
Under his leadership, Tuskegee has strengthened its computer science curriculum, enhanced hands-on research opportunities and broadened its industry partnerships, helping prepare students for competitive careers in today’s evolving cyber landscape.
In our conversation today, we’ll explore Dr. Wu’s background, the cybersecurity relevant degree programs offered at Tuskegee, what makes the university unique in this discipline and how students can position themselves for success in the field.
So let’s get started. Welcome Dr. Wu. Thank you for joining me today.
Fan Wu:
Yeah, good morning Steven. Thank you. Thank you so much for the introduction.
Steve Bowcut:
Alright, well we appreciate your time and look forward to the conversation. So let’s start as we typically like to do on this show.
Let’s start with a little bit of your background or your journey from earning your PhD to heading the computer science department at Tuskegee. So how did that all come about for you?
Fan Wu:
Yes, so as you know, I received my PhD degree from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. My dissertation actually is not initially, my dissertation is not about the cybersecurity, it’s about the mobile graphics area. So that is my dissertation. But after I joined the university and I found at that time I found the cybersecurity is really hot area and much needed by the society and the nation.
So I switch my research area slightly from mobile graphics to mobile security and then I found that wow, this is really interesting area and actually it’s a very benefited to our society and the nation. So from the mobile security, I expanded my research to the other cybersecurity like the robotics security and these areas.
And then from there I work on the, there’s opportunity for us to establish the National Center of Excellence in defense in cyber defense. So this is actually designated by the federal agencies. So we took this opportunity and I lead this effort and applied the center of excellence.
So fortunately we got initially designated in 2012, so for this center. So now this year we have been running this center for 13 years.
Steve Bowcut:
Oh my goodness. Yeah, that’s true, huh?
Fan Wu:
Yes. Yeah, that is how I become a PhD graduate and to assistant professor, social professor and the professor and now the department head of the computer science at Tuskegee University.
So the cybersecurity program, as you know, is growing very fast in the department and the university. So I’m looking forward to keep expanding it and the benefit to our society and the nation.
Steve Bowcut:
Interesting, interesting. Alright. Alright. So you mentioned your research spans mobile security, data science, bio informatics, and you said something about robotics.
So talk to us about the intersection of these fields and how they connect at least as it relates to cybersecurity. So do you specialize in cybersecurity and each of those fields and if so, do you see the connections there?
Fan Wu:
Well, thank you. We do have the connection of all the areas. Actually right now when you talk about computer science, it’s impossible for you to get into single area in the computer science, it has to cover several areas of computer science.
So like the cybersecurity and the data science, they have a huge connection. When we talk about data science, we will talk about AI and AI and the cybersecurity, how we can apply the, use the cybersecurity technique to secure our AI system and how we use the AI system to enhance our cybersecurity system. That is actually two major areas which are very hot in this area.
So for example, we have a research project like how to apply the deep learning and the machine learning to intrusion detection. So this are very interesting topics and me, my student and I are working on it and get many publications on this area. So this is kind of a good example how we connected the cyber, again, data science together and talking about the robotics bioinformatics.
So definitely for example, bioinformatics, we need to know how to secure some privacy data of the patient, right? Sure, yeah. And the robotics. The AI technology applied to the robotics, robotics system and how we secure the robotic system will not get hacked by other persons so that they can control the robot. That is another area we can think about.
Steve Bowcut:
Okay. Alright. So let’s focus a little bit on the cybersecurity programs Tuskegee. So for students that are interested in pursuing cybersecurity as their career, what degree programs or courses can they look for or enroll in at Tuskegee University?
Fan Wu:
Yes, thanks. So right now the computer science department, Tuske University, offered several cybersecurity related programs. So we offer the BS in data science, BS in computer science with a cybersecurity area option
And also we offer the master program in information system and computer security that is a master in information system and computer security. So under this program we have two options. One is a cybersecurity and the other one is a data science option.
So the cybersecurity option actually provide our student a very solid click room so that after they go through this click room they will be trained like cybersecurity professionals to serve for the private company, local community and the nations.
So I want exciting news is we just launched a PhD program this semester in information system and cybersecurity with cybersecurity options and with this new PhD program offered, we are expected to train more researchers in this area so that they will be able to contribute more on the society in the cybersecurity area.
So yeah, it’s a PhD CD program information system and the computer security
Steve Bowcut:
And focused on research. So if I understand you correctly, I could, if I was an undergraduate student, come to Tuskegee University and specialize in cybersecurity or get a computer science with a specialization in cybersecurity, from there I could get a master’s degree in cybersecurity and then finally a PhD in cybersecurity focused on research. Is that correct?
Fan Wu:
Yeah, exactly. So this is a full pipeline from the PS all the way to the MS and the PhD if you are interested in the cybersecurity area. Yes.
Steve Bowcut:
Alright, well that’s fantastic. Thank you. I appreciate that. Alright, so one of the things I always like to get a feel for when we have guests like you on the show is how you integrate hands-on learning.
So I know it’s important in every field, but I guess I come at the world from a cybersecurity perspective, it seems very important to me that to get a hands-on learning, so everything is not just theoretical when you graduate with a degree.
So how do you integrate hands-on learning into the research projects and the labs and those kinds of things?
Fan Wu:
As we know, the hands-on practices are very important experience for our student because they can get a real time experience and prepare the themselves well for the future career. And in the computer science department, our focus put a lot of effort to provide the student hands-on practice in cybersecurity area.
So this is from three ways we provide this hands-on practice for them. The first is in the classroom, so most of our lectures and the classes actually core courses, we provide a hands-on practice project to the student.
So for example, we have the cybersecurity course and in that course actually we use some software simulate the battle between the blue team and the red team and one team as a hacker and the other team is defense.
So actually they simulate and I found our student are very interested and some courses or labs maybe before the end of lab the student already said oh I need to go.
But you know what? In this lab my surprise is that even after lab, the students still in the lab and focus on their practice. I mean the hands-on practice.
So I’m so glad to see that and that means that the student are really, really interested in this so that they will stay even after the lecture and the lab time and I’m staying in the lab to help them as well. So this is one way and the second way is some research project that we received from the different resources actually need the student to help.
So it’s not like when we receive the grant and it’s not like only the faculty will do the grant activity project activities, but we do need a student to help. So we recruit a student into this project and then this project actually give them some experience which is close to the career, real, real life and they are very interested in as well. And the last way we do is the internship.
So the internship are also very important because if the student receives the internship and is very likely after the graduate is will convert to the full-time job. So,
So we actually actively connected the different companies or national lab or federal agencies with our student and then they will get a chance to work on those places for their internship. And the result actually showing the internship are very, very useful for them to find a full-time job in the future.
Steve Bowcut:
Awesome. That is great. Alright, so we’ve talked about a holistic program all the way from my undergraduate work to my PhD. We’ve talked about hands-on learning including internships that can easily lead to full-time jobs.
Are there any other unique qualities or achievements at Tuskegee that you feel like sets you apart from other universities?
Fan Wu:
Yes. So I think that is the reason the computer science department is growing and we attract the more and more student thing. So as you know we have the National Center of Excellence in cyber defense.
So that is a real good platform because in order to get designated by this center of excellence, you have to have a very strong rum in cybersecurity, otherwise you will not be able to receive this center of excellence.
So this center of excellence, as I mentioned, is provide a good platform for the student, not only in student but also the faculty.
The good opportunities in get the cybersecurity education and the cybersecurity related project, I mean the research project. And I think that this is one of the unique things in the computer science at Tuskegee University, which will make our program is strong.
And the second thing, the faculty in the department actually actively secure the research grant in the cybersecurity area provide providing the student the good experience and also the scholarship.
So I can give you example, we receive a grant from national science is called the SFS Scholarship for Service program. So that program is a fantastic program. It’s provided a student a very good financial package to support them senior year and master program year.
And basically they don’t need to worry about anything, the scholarship pay the tuition and pay a very good stipend to the student and also the health insurance book allowance and the professional development.
So the stipend, I can give you a number for the undergrad for the senior student, the stipend to them is a 27K for the academic year. And if your master student is a 37K for the academic year, in addition to the tuitions, we pay for them.
So with this program actually we successfully attracted many native of American to the cybersecurity area and after they graduate they will serve in the federal agency and the cybersecurity area to protect our nation. So this is a kind of very exciting project. This is just one example and we do have some other project which attract the student in cybersecurity area.
So with all these things and it make our program very strong and very attractive to the student comparing other universities,
Steve Bowcut:
That is so fantastic. So with that stipend and the tuition being paid, the student can really focus on their education and doing the research. So that is really great.
Fan Wu:
And one more thing I would like to mention is by joining this program and most of our students when they graduate, they have a zero student loan.
Steve Bowcut:
See, that should be very attractive to anyone who’s considering any kind of a technology degree. Moving to cybersecurity, we desperately need good qualified people in cybersecurity.
So that’s great, I’m so glad to hear about that. So our research shows that you are also the editor in chief of the International Journal of Mobile Devices, wearable Technology and Flexible Electronics.
So that piqued my interest and I thought maybe you could talk a little bit about how these emerging technologies influence the cybersecurity landscape because each one of those is going to have some cybersecurity concerns, correct?
Fan Wu:
Oh yes, yes.
Steve Bowcut:
Talk to us about that a little bit. How these technologies are influencing cybersecurity or maybe is your curriculum built around your knowledge in these areas? Does that influence it in that way or how does it work?
Fan Wu:
Yeah, so for this journal, yes, we found out more and more actually manuscript focusing on the cybersecurity area. So it’s not only limited to the cybersecurity research area, but also the education, cybersecurity education area and how we improve the student outcome through some new teaching material, developer, developer.
And actually one of my project is about how to build the new learning modules so that we can implement in the classroom so the student actually can get a more hands-on practice. So one project is like machine learning and cybersecurity.
So that project, the learning material, we provide the module, we provide the student. Really interesting. So this is the one example how we enhance our click room and for the student in cybersecurity area and with all these things and in this journal and we receive more and more manuscript manuscript like this. Yeah.
And the student and the scholars and the faculties actually they can get more things from this journal. And also another good big area is the journal also focused on the emergent technologies and the emergent, especially AI. So that’s why I said AI
Now is a very hot topic, it’s emergent technologies. So this tool when we connected the AI and cybersecurity, that is very hot in this journals as well. Hot topic like this journals as
Steve Bowcut:
Well. I can imagine that it is, it seems like AI comes up in every conversation about cybersecurity or technology in general. So let’s see if we can put together some guidance for students.
So an interesting question that I think our audience will find interesting is from your perspective, what technical or personal skills do you think are the most valuable for a student who’s thinking about getting an education in cybersecurity and following that career path? What technical or personal skills do you think are the most valuable?
Fan Wu:
Yes, I think first off, the student should show the interest in this area, in the cybersecurity area. So after they have the good strong interest in this area, and then they will need to develop the skill set. For example, in computer science, they need to develop a skillset in programming first in their first freshman.
The program is coding skill is the foundation of all the areas in computer science including cybersecurity, AI. And also this time the content computing is also very hard topics. So we are also trying to integrate the cybersecurity in the content computing, how to protect the content computing system when they transfer the information. So that’s another hot area.
We connected the cybersecurity and content computing together. So the technical point of view, the student first off develop a coding skill set and based on that they will need to go into the different cybersecurity technical skills like the mobile security operating system, security, software security.
So I believe that’s the skillset the student need to know for their future cybersecurity area and the personnel skills, the teamwork, so the teamwork the student need to build for their future work. So that is impossible for any single person to complete a project, honestly.
And for example, in my class I gave the project, most of the project is a group project so that they need to learn how to communicate with their team member and how to work efficiently within team and how to produce the best outcome through these corporations. So the team building skill set is important
Steve Bowcut:
Because that’s going to be essential for their success in the industry. You have to able to work well in teams. Rarely are you going to find a job where you’re sitting by yourself doing cybersecurity.
Fan Wu:
Yeah, exactly.
Steve Bowcut:
Okay, so to expand that idea just a little bit. So they’re skills that the students should come with, the skills that they will develop during their education, but they still have to and they’ve decided they want to go into cybersecurity, but they’re still sub-categories, if you will, of cybersecurity network security, AI driven defense, mobile systems, security.
How do you guide students to find their best fit in those kind of subcategories that fall under cybersecurity?
Fan Wu:
Yes, so like I said, like I mentioned, the first of the student need to develop the interest in the different area. And also most of our courses in the computer science department actually provide the hands-on practice and the fundamental theory to the student. And our student need to go through this courses and then they will find out which area they really have the strong interest in.
So based on this interest, they can approach into our faculty member. And because we do have a broad range of the research project in funded project in the cybersecurity, then they can approach into the faculty and say they may want to join the project team and get some in-depth experience in certain area.
So for example, the mobile system security, they take the mobile security class I teach. And then after that if, hey Dr. WU I really interested in this area. I say, yes, I do have the project in this area. Do you want to join? And the student, yes, I want to join.
So by building the coding skillset, fundamental skillset of certain cybersecurity area and then get in-depth experience through some research project and then they will be able to know, okay, I know this is my future career. And then they will focus on it and dedicate them to it. And then when they graduate they will find a good job and start their career in this area.
Steve Bowcut:
Perfect. Okay, that’s great. So they get a little taste of all these various subcategories and then from there it’ll be kind of a natural thing. They’ll know this is what I’m good at, this is what I enjoy doing. And you can help them find some research project to kind of match what their interests are. Perfect.
Alright, so we are about out of time, but I want to end with kind of a forward looking question here as we like to do. So I think our audience would find it interesting. So from your perspective, what exciting developments or opportunities in cybersecurity education and research are coming in the next five years?
And I know you’ll want to mention AI because everyone always does when I ask that question, but there’s AI and feel free to talk about that. But are there other developments and opportunities that you see?
Fan Wu:
Yes, I can see in the next five years and will lead the cybersecurity and AI combined? These two area are the future area and the other area is cybersecurity and content computing. So both are very important area and the priming area. And we already actually know this will be our future in the next five years.
So our faculty members in the computer side department already prepare themselves and the received trainings from the different faculty developer workshop and exploring the grant opportunities from the private company and the federal agencies and collaborative with different companies and federal agencies.
So these are corporations and also including the corporations with other research institutions. So actually the computer science department actually has established corporations with other institutions, maybe more than 30 other institutions.
So we have a corporative project with them and the companies we have corporations with like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft, these big companies. So they are and IBM. So they are very interested in the AI and cyber content computing area. And we did establish a cooperation with those companies and we can develop the state of art technologies which will benefit our starting future.
And also we have received the ground and have corporations with federal agencies as well. So for example, the National Science Foundation, and we received the ground from National Science Foundation to advance our research to the new area typically in the cybersecurity AI and the cybersecurity and content computing.
That’s how the computer science department position ourselves and keep our leadership in this area.
Steve Bowcut:
That is so awesome and I really appreciate that you’re focused on quantum computing as well because I know not everybody, lots of institutions are focused on AI and I think that’s critical, that has been so disruptive.
But I also believe that quantum computing is going to be as disruptive in the near future. And so it’s good that you’re focused on educating your students now so they’re prepared when they need to be. So appreciate that.
Alright, well that brings us to an end of this episode of the Cybersecurity Guide podcast. A huge thank you to Dr. Fan Wu for sharing his insights into cybersecurity education at Tuskegee University and for helping us better understand the pathways, the opportunities, and what’s available with research and students who are looking to go into this important career field.
Thank you, Dr. Wu, we really appreciate it.
Fan Wu:
Yeah, thank you Steven. And thank you cybersecurity guide for this opportunity to share our experience in cybersecurity here.
And I look forward to working with you and the cybersecurity guide and keep the computer science department and keep the computer science department at Tuskegee University, the leading role in cybersecurity area. Thank you.
Steve Bowcut:
That is awesome. Thank you so much. And for our audience, thank you for joining us today.
If you found this episode helpful, be sure to subscribe, leave a review and share it with someone who you think might benefit. Until next time, thank you. Tuning in.