Innovation Outpost named Academic Innovator of Year by EC-Council

Amarillo College (AC) is pleased to announce that its Innovation Outpost has been singled out by the internationally acclaimed EC-Council as the 2024 Academic Innovator of the Year.

The accolade recognizes AC’s effective implementation of its Cybersecurity Certifications Program.

AC’s Innovation Outpost, located at 1220 S. Polk St., is dedicated to fostering education and workforce development, and at its heart is a robust focus on cybersecurity, which includes both academic programs and opportunities for continuing education. 

Operating in 145 countries, the EC-Council is the world’s largest cybersecurity technical certification body and annually honors outstanding achievements in cybersecurity training and education across global academic communities.

The Academic Innovator of the Year award is a prestigious honor that is based on criteria such as continuous program development; incorporating new technologies and innovative methods of education; commitment to making a difference in the cybersecurity workforce; and more.

“The EC-Council Academic Division is proud to formally highlight academic institutions and faculty across the world that excel each year with lasting impacts on their students' cybersecurity education and local communities,” said Sarah Carlson, academic development manager for the EC-Council.

“The 2024 Academic Innovator of the Year award is a high honor within the EC-Council academic community. Just one such prestigious award is issued each year in North America, where the EC-Council has more than 2,000 academic partners including K-12 entities, technical institutes, colleges, and universities.”

AC has proactively enlisted a compelling arsenal of cybersecurity assets capable of simulating a wide range of realistic security incidents so that even seasoned cybersecurity professionals can hone their skills.

Additionally, the College is preparing to apply for a specialized designation from the Center for Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity, which is sponsored by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security. This would ensure AC is meeting the government’s highest standards of cyber defense.

Dr. Frank Sobey, AC’s vice president of academic affairs, says he is gratified by the EC-Council’s lofty recognition, and that it lends significant validation to the College’s ongoing efforts to establish the Innovation Outpost as a cybersecurity nerve center for the Texas Panhandle.

“This notable award demonstrates that we have made significant progress toward creating a cyber workforce ecosystem for the Panhandle,” Sobey said. “As we continue to work toward achieving a National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity designation, I commend our faculty and staff who have been instrumental in developing innovative solutions for our cybersecurity training needs.

“One of the main goals we have for the Innovation Outpost,” he said, “is to become the tech upskill training solution for our region, the venue for engaging thought leaders to troubleshoot and forecast employers' tech needs, and the vehicle through which we further develop a talent pipeline and accelerate our current tech programming.”

In that vein, Argenis Cunha, cybersecurity learning and technology specialist for the Innovation Outpost, says his team meets the needs of all learners by removing barriers and instilling a mindset of lifelong learning.

“Personal growth and human development are intertwined with technical learning,” Cunha said. “Our innovations are largely focused on meeting the needs of those we serve. The idea is to mimic the workplace environment as much as possible.

“We present real scenarios without sugar-coating how hard it is to compete in a field such as technology,” he said. “The 2-3 times a week for 2-3 hours after working hours has worked well for us – similar to the MBA model, in which we are not so much teaching traditional students but busy professionals and professionals wanting to upskill or reskill.

“We put them in the driver’s seat of the learning process; we are just here to facilitate the process.”