Mercy College is Recognized for the Third Time as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense by the National Security Agency
This Highlights the Strength of Mercy College’s Cybersecurity Program as One of Only 15 Centers of Academic Excellence in New York State
Mercy College has been designated for the third time as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) by the National Security Agency (NSA) through the 2025-2026 academic year. Awarded after a rigorous evaluation process, this recognition signifies the strength of Mercy College’s cybersecurity programs. Mercy is one of only 15 Centers of Academic Excellence (CAE) in New York State and one of about 350 nationwide.
The NSA awards CAE-CD designations to higher education institutions that offer high-quality academic programs that produce cybersecurity professionals who will help safeguard and promote America’s national security. The application process involved the evaluation of Mercy’s curriculum and student outcomes from its B.S., M.S. and five-year B.S/M.S. cybersecurity programs against new, rigorous standards. The evaluation process also involved a review of Mercy’s community involvement regarding cybersecurity, as well as the College’s own cybersecurity practices.
“This designation means that Mercy’s cybersecurity program is strong, up-to-date, and in compliance with national codes and interests,” said John Yoon, Ph.D., professor and program director of Mercy College’s Cybersecurity Program.
“The CAE-CD designation validates that Mercy’s program is current. The cybersecurity field advances so quickly, and our course content and materials must keep pace with that progress,” said Zhixiong Chen, Ph.D., professor and director of Mercy’s Cybersecurity Education Center (MCEC). Yoon and Chen led the efforts to apply for redesignation as a CAE with support from faculty members and staff across Mercy College.
“From a pedagogical perspective, Mercy’s cybersecurity programs and specifically the Mercy Cybersecurity Education Center epitomize a problem-based approach to learning that is very 21st century and very equity-minded in terms of helping students understand the relevance of the work they do to specific career outcomes and to specific ethical challenges,” said Peter West, Ph.D., interim provost and vice president for academic affairs.
In addition to a strong curriculum, Mercy’s cybersecurity program benefits from a unique resource, the Mercy Cybersecurity Education Center (MCEC), which houses dedicated labs on both the Dobbs Ferry and Manhattan Campuses where students can conduct research and participate in educational activities such as national and regional cybersecurity challenges and hackathons. This focus on hands-on, practical learning supports Mercy cybersecurity students in being prepared for several different paths after graduation, including working for federal or regional government agencies — several Mercy alums work for the NSA itself — in the defense industry such as for Lockheed Martin and in all kinds of other corporate industries such as medical or financial technology.
Being designated as a CAE brings many benefits to Mercy College and to its students. As a CAE, Mercy is able to apply for government grants that are only open to CAE institutions, access a CAE-only community to facilitate collaboration across institutions and attend technical talks organized by the NSA to help faculty members stay up-to-date in this ever-evolving field. In addition, Mercy students can attend CAE career fairs and participate in CAE cybersecurity challenges to boost their résumés and practice their skills in real-world situations.
The benefits extend beyond the cybersecurity program as well. Many Mercy programs have a cyber component — such as health analytics courses in the School of Health and Natural Sciences, criminal justice courses in the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences and data analytics courses in the School of Business — so the resources available to CAEs benefit several Mercy programs across several schools. West, Chen and Yoon see opportunities to create more interdisciplinary collaboration over time.
The designation also acknowledges Mercy’s collaborations with other institutions. Mercy has agreements in place with local community colleges including Westchester Community College, Rockland Community College and Bronx Community College to enable students to seamlessly transfer credits to Mercy, creating a pipeline into Mercy’s cybersecurity programs. In order to ensure that the pipeline is strong, Mercy faculty members collaborate with community college faculty members to support high-quality cybersecurity instruction across the board. In addition, Mercy has developed relationships with universities such as New York University and the University of Pennsylvania to enable Mercy graduate students to more easily pursue doctoral degrees in cybersecurity.
“This designation is a nice example of Mercy's connection to our local, regional and national communities,” said West. “In that sense, it connects to our mission, which is very much about our civic and ethical responsibilities.”
Mercy’s collaboration efforts even extend beyond higher education and into the cybersecurity industry. The Mathematics, Computer Science and Cybersecurity Advisory Board meets regularly to help Mercy identify the gaps between what is taught in the classroom and the skills that professionals need in the field, with the goal of narrowing or filling the gaps to ensure that Mercy students are prepared to excel in their careers.
With this designation in hand, West, Yoon and Chen are already planning how to sustain and enhance Mercy’s strong cybersecurity program, collaborations and outreach. As Chen put it, “Re-designation brings responsibility."