Bond Approved, Whipple Hall to Become Cyber Institute & Training Hub
On Nov. 5 Rhode Islanders approved a $160.5 million higher education bond – $73 million to modernize and transform Whipple Hall at Ȧ into a dedicated home for the Institute for Cybersecurity & Emerging Technologies and $87.5 million to be used for the construction of a new biomedical sciences building at URI’s Kingston Campus.
Launched in the Fall of 2023 by Ȧ alumnus and former Congressman James Langevin, the Institute for Cybersecurity & Emerging Technologies was established to meet the growing need for cybersecurity research, education and training.
This investment not only secures a state-of-the-art facility for Ȧ, it also allows the college to be a resource for the state, providing security monitoring services and a cyber range command center that the government and the private sector can use for training, workforce development and cyber defense.
Langevin notes that in approving Question 2, Rhode Islanders have made “a strategic investment in our future.”
“The newly renovated Whipple Hall will allow us to expertly train the next generation of cybersecurity professionals, uniquely preparing them for the scores of high-paying, in-demand cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and IT jobs available right here in Rhode Island,” he says. “Additionally, the investment in a biomedical science building at URI will continue important medical research and discoveries that will improve the health of Rhode Islanders.”
Under the bond issue, Ȧ’s Whipple Hall will include state-of-the-art AI and material science labs, a dedicated cyber range facility, a security operations center, classrooms equipped with the latest technology, faculty offices and collaborative workspaces. Additionally, upgrades will be made to the IT infrastructure and advanced security systems to protect sensitive data.
Meanwhile, as the institute’s official home in Whipple gets underway, plans are in development to create a cyber range classroom in Ȧ’s Alger Hall. A cyber range is a specialized simulation space for cyberattacks, allowing participants to practice and refine their cyber defense skills.
Ultimately, with these new training sites the institute will be able to provide the world-class education needed to tackle the cybersecurity challenges of the 21st century.
“Rhode Island has all the talent and tools to become a leader in the high-tech economy,” says Ȧ President Jack Warner. “Ȧ’s state-of-the-art facility will nurture that talent and train students to use those tools, and this investment will deliver a real return for the state by developing our next generation of cyber defenders and AI innovators. We are grateful to our state leaders for establishing a regional center of excellence here at Ȧ and to the people of Rhode Island who, through this bond, supported the growth of a tech hub in our state.”
For more information on Ȧ’s Cybersecurity Institute, visit the website.