Harford Community College held a ribbon cutting and opening celebration on May 13 in Joppa Hall to mark the launch of the College’s participation in Maryland’s Cyber Workforce Accelerator (CWA) program. Here are the details provided by the college:
Ribbon Cutting and Opening Celebration for Cyber Range Training Lab Held at Harford Community College
Harford Community College held a ribbon cutting and opening celebration on May 13 in Joppa Hall to mark the launch of the College’s participation in Maryland’s Cyber Workforce Accelerator (CWA) program.
Brian Walker, Chair, Harford Community College Board of Trustees, welcomed everyone to the event. The Honorable Harry Coker, Jr., Secretary, Maryland Department of Commerce, discussed the “Impact of Cyber Range for the State of Maryland.” Theresa B. Felder, Ed.D., President, Harford Community College spoke on the “Impact of Cyber Range at Harford Community College.” The Honorable Sanjay K. Rai, Ph.D., Secretary of Higher Education, Maryland Higher Education Commission, addressed the “Impact of Cyber Range on Higher Education.” Brad Phillips, Ed.D., Executive Director, Maryland Association of Community Colleges, spoke about “Cyber Ranges at Maryland Community Colleges.” Bruce Spector, Chairman of BCR Cyber, discussed “Cyber Range as a Classroom Tool.” In addition, Harford Community College students Dominic Jones and Ryden Meadows discussed how the Cyber Range will augment their studies in the Cyber program. Marc Minnick, DBA, Dean, Business and Applied Technology, Harford Community College, served as the emcee for the event.
“This transformative space is more than the opening of a state-of-the-art facility—it marks a bold investment in our students, our region, and the future of cybersecurity. The Cyber Range at Harford Community College represents opportunity, innovation, and workforce readiness. As cybersecurity threats grow more complex, this space will empower our students to meet them head-on—with knowledge, skill, and purpose. We are proud to lead the way in building Maryland’s cybersecurity talent pipeline and thank all our partners who helped make this vision a reality,” said Dr. Felder.
Cyber ranges are virtual environments that simulate real-world networks and cyber attacks for training purposes. By participating in simulated cyber attacks and defenses in a secure, controlled setting, individuals and teams have the opportunity to engage in challenging, hands-on cybersecurity activities. These exercises help students learn, practice and improve the skills needed to obtain industry jobs and help to meet the critical need for cybersecurity professionals in Maryland.
Established by the Maryland Association of Community Colleges and BCR Cyber, the Cyber Workforce Accelerator provides cyber ranges to all 16 Maryland community colleges. The BCR Cyber Series 3000 Cyber Range, a training system that simulates cyber attacks and introduces students to cybersecurity concepts and operations, is key to the CWA program.
