Marshall University officials announced today that Dr. Henry Collier has been named the inaugural executive director of the Institute for Cyber Security at the university.
Marshall Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Avinandan “Avi” Mukherjee said the university benefited from a strong applicant pool, with individuals eager to direct Marshall’s future opportunities in cyber security.
“The search committee narrowed this pipeline of interested applicants to five semifinalists who were invited to airport interviews in Columbus,” Mukherjee said. “We emerged from that process with strong alignment on three finalists who were invited for on-campus interviews over the past few weeks. Each campus finalist had a campus-wide presentation and Q&A session, along with the opportunity to meet with the faculty, staff, students and administration. We also had the benefit of watching the recorded video of the public forum and reviewing the feedback surveys and ratings from all stakeholders. While each finalist proved to be uniquely qualified, Dr. Collier emerged as being the most qualified candidate to steward Marshall’s excellence in cyber security.”
Collier is currently the director of technology programs at Norwich University’s College of Graduate and Continuing Studies. He leads and manages the Master of Science in Cybersecurity program, the Master of Science in Information Systems, the Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity, and the Bachelor of Science in Computer Science & Information Systems programs. His areas of research include artificial intelligence, networking, and the human firewall.
Collier is an internationally recognized expert in the human firewall and has published and presented in international venues. Currently, he is leading a team of international researchers in researching how culture plays a role in susceptibility to cybercrime. Before arriving at Norwich University, he was the program director for Computer Technology and Cybersecurity & Healthcare IT at River Valley Community College where he rejuvenated the Cisco Networking Academy and managed a National Science Foundation Advanced Technological Education grant to develop the cybersecurity & healthcare IT program. Before entering the academic arena, he worked for several years in the private industry as a telecommunications/information technology specialist, field engineer, and technical support manager.
A U.S. Army veteran with six years of active duty, Collier currently holds the rank of Chief Warrant Officer 3 in the Army Reserves, where he currently has 27 years of service. He has a Ph.D. in engineering with a concentration in security from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, a master’s degree in managing innovations and information technology from Champlain College, a bachelor’s degree in information technology with a concentration in systems analysis and design from Granite State College, and an associate degree in computer technology from River Valley Community College.
Collier will begin his new role on July 15, 2024.