Economic Assessment National Center South Regional Hub

About the EANC and South Regional Hub

Across the United States, hundreds of colleges and universities prepare the next generation of cybersecurity professionals—AI-enabled cyber defenders, analysts, researchers, and technology leaders. The Economic Assessment National Center (EANC) was established to measure the collective workforce, economic, and mission impact of these efforts across National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C) institutions.

Key EANC Objectives

• Standardized Performance Measurement: Develop a shared approach to measuring workforce outcomes, economic contributions, and return on investment (ROI).
• Return on Mission (ROM): Explore how cybersecurity education contributes to workforce readiness, institutional capacity, and broader national security priorities.
• Streamlined Reporting: Minimize reporting burdens on institutions by making better use of existing data and establishing consistent national measurement metrics.
• Data Dashboards & Transparency: Provide transparent national reporting and interactive data tools for institutions, regional partners, and federal stakeholders.

Advancing the South Hub's Collective Impact

Our work focuses on five priorities:

• Connect our institutions. Strengthen relationships among NCAE-designated institutions across the 12-state region and encourage collaboration and shared learning.
• Bring regional perspectives forward. Gather institutional experiences, priorities, and insights to help shape the national Performance Measurement Framework.
• Create opportunities for exchange. Convene quarterly regional meetings to share updates, discuss challenges, and identify opportunities to work together.
• Recognize institutional excellence. Coordinate regional designation ceremonies celebrating institutions that achieve or renew their NCAE-C designation.
• Showcase regional contributions. Share how Midwest institutions prepare the cyber workforce and support their local economies.

Participating Institutions

Led by Coastline College, EANC brings together seven institutions through a national center and six Regional Hubs. Each hub connects with CAE-designated institutions in its region, bringing regional perspectives into a shared national approach to measuring cybersecurity education’s workforce, economic, and mission impact.

• National Lead: Coastline College, Garden Grove, California, led by Tobi West
• West Hub: University of Colorado Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, Colorado, led by Gretchen Bliss
• Midwest Hub: Metropolitan State University, St. Paul, Minnesota, led by Faisal Kaleem
• Northeast Hub: University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, New York, led by Sanjay Goel
• Mid-Atlantic Hub: Kean University, Union, New Jersey, led Stanley Mierzwa
• Southeast Hub: George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, led by Massimiliano Albanese
• South Hub: University of West Florida, Pensacola, Florida, led by Eman El-Sheikh

Join the South EANC Network

Your institution's experience is part of the larger cybersecurity story. If your institution holds an NCAE-C designation in one of our nine states, we invite you to connect with us. Join regional meetings, share your accomplishments, and help shape how the nation understands cybersecurity education's contributions.

South Regional Hub Contacts

Please send all EANC and South Hub inquiries to cae@uwf.edu. 

Dr. Eman El-Sheikh
EANC South Regional Hub Lead
Associate Vice President, UWF Center for Cybersecurity and AI

Pam Davis
EANC South Regional Hub Coordinator
UWF Center for Cybersecurity and AI

EANC Contact

Dr. Tobi West
Principal Investigator and National Coordinator
Economic Assessment National Center, Coastline College
EANC@cccd.edu 
https://cybereanc.org/

First EANC South Regional Meeting

Friday, December 4, 2026 | 1:00 - 2:00 PM CT | Virtual

The first EANC South Regional Hub meeting will bring together CAE Points of Contact (POCs) from CAE-designated institutions across the region to introduce the initiative, discuss national and regional priorities, and explore opportunities for collaboration. Calendar invitations will be sent directly to institutional POCs and Alternate POCs. If you do not receive an invitation, please contact cae@uwf.edu.

UWF Leadership & Regional Impact

As the lead for the EANC South Regional Hub, the UWF Center for Cybersecurity and AI brings extensive leadership and expertise in cybersecurity education and workforce development:

• National Program Leadership: UWF leads the National Cybersecurity Workforce Development Program, a national initiative focused on strengthening the cybersecurity workforce through education, training, and industry partnerships.
• Proven Track Record: UWF previously served as the Southeast CAE Regional Hub from 2017 to 2022.
• Community & CAE Support: UWF hosts quarterly meetings to strengthen regional impact, build collaboration among CAE institutions, and hold designation ceremonies celebrating CAE institutions.

The Economic Assessment National Center is funded through the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C) program within the National Security Agency under Award H98230-26-1-0027.