CCRE Director and Research Engineer honored with awards at 2022 National Cyber Summit

The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) announced that the Director of the UAH Center for Cybersecurity Research and Education (CCRE), Dr. Tommy Morris, was recognized with an award at this year’s National Cyber Summit. In addition, CCRE Research Engineer Steven Forney was honored as well. Dr. Morris received the 2022 Cybersecurity Education Achievement Award, while Forney (UAH), walked away with the 2022 Joe Popinski Cyber Excellence Award.

Dr. Morris was singled out for demonstrating major contributions to the local, state and national cybersecurity community. The CCRE Director founded the Center for Cybersecurity Research and Education at UAH, a part of The University of Alabama System. The UAH CCRE is one of the largest academic cybersecurity centers in the U.S.

"This is a very fitting and well-deserved recognition of Dr. Morris' accomplishments in the cybersecurity field,” says UAH Vice President for Research and Economic Development and Professor, Dr. Robert Lindquist.

“I am honored that my contributions to UAH and to the Huntsville community have been recognized,” Dr. Morris says. “Of course, I work with a great team and we have done these things together. The best part of my job is helping students launch their careers. I get great satisfaction when I meet a graduate a few years later and hear how well things are going for them.”

CCRE Research Engineer, Steven Forney.

Courtesy Sharon Johnson

Forney was lauded for his work in bringing cybersecurity research and education to the Deaf community, mentoring students and supporting various federal and state cybersecurity initiatives in research and education.

“Steven is a dedicated researcher who has earned this recognition,” says CCRE Assistant Director Jesse Hairston. “He has shown exemplary service, providing cybersecurity content and outreach to Deaf and hard-of-hearing students across the nation.”

“Being able to communicate with my CCRE team in American Sign Language (ASL) is what I enjoy the most about my job,” Forney notes. “It was an honor and privilege to receive this award, it could not have been done without excellent support from my CCRE team.”

The National Cyber Summit (NCS) is the nation's premiere cyber security technology event, offering educational, collaborative and workforce development opportunities for industry visionaries and rising leaders. The NCS brings together senior attendees from commercial and defense companies from around the country, and the 2022 event was held last month in Huntsville, AL.

The UAH CCRE offers an interdisciplinary approach to defending networks, data and computer operating systems from adversarial attacks. In addition to providing educational opportunities such as camps and scholarships, the CCRE also engages in cutting-edge research on a wide variety of cybersecurity-related topics, including identity management, supply chain security, intrusion detection, vulnerability analysis, medical device security, and digital forensics.