by Angela Farlow, Student Public Relations Writer
Cedarville University professors Dr. Keith Shomper, Patrick Dudenhofer and Dr. Seth Hamman, are also working part-time at Northrop Grumman’s Cincinnati location, which houses Northrop Grumman’s Cyber and Intelligence Mission Solutions division.
Hamman, director of the Center for the Advancement of Cybersecurity at Cedarville University, said it is an honor to work at Northrop Grumman.
“Northrop Grumman is a strategic partner,” said Hamman. “They wanted us there so that we could develop our cyber skills and see firsthand the type of work they do. The ultimate goal is to strengthen our partnership.”
— Seth Hamman
Northrop Grumman is a leading U.S.-based global aerospace and defense technology company with approximately 85,000 employees and more than $30 billion in annual revenue.
Hamman and his colleagues started working at Northrop Grumman last summer and will work on an as-needed basis going forward.
Having professors gaining real-word experience in their field will allow Cedarville to equip computer science and cybersecurity students to be more successful in the workforce, Hamman said. This will also allow Cedarville University professors to have a deeper understanding of the type of work that their graduates are doing and structure classes and curriculum to help prepare students accordingly.
Northrop Grumman has hired Cedarville University students in cyber roles for more than 15 years and is a significant part of Cedarville’s growing cybersecurity program. Bob Porter, software engineering manager at Northrop Grumman and a longtime member of Cedarville’s school of engineering and computer science advisory board, started recruiting at Cedarville when his daughter visited campus as a prospective student. The engineering program caught Porter’s eye during that visit. Since then, Northrop Grumman has hired more Cedarville computer science graduates than any other single employer over the years.
“We find that Cedarville University students exhibit very high levels of technical competence, professionalism and personal integrity,” said Porter. “Our goal is to continue to be closely involved with the excellent engineering program at Cedarville.”
The computer science major at Cedarville University is growing with a record incoming freshman class of 45 students. “We believe that our pioneering cybersecurity offerings are part of the reason we are experiencing growth,” said Hamman.
The National Security Agency named Cedarville University a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Operations in 2018 (1 of 21 nationally), and the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology accredited Cedarville’s cybersecurity program in 2019 (1 of 7 internationally).
Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is an accredited, Christ-centered, Baptist institution with an enrollment of 4,380 undergraduate, graduate and online students in more than 150 areas of study. Founded in 1887, Cedarville is recognized nationally for its authentic Christian community, rigorous academic programs, including its Bachelor of Science in Cyber Operations, strong graduation and retention rates, accredited professional and health science offerings and high student engagement ranking. For more information about the University, visit www.cedarville.edu.