Washington, DC. Friday, May 3, 2013. In a formal ceremony, the National Defense
University (NDU) iCollege honored 245 students with over 400 graduate certificates in a variety
of Cyber and IT leadership disciplines. Categories included: Cyber Security; Cyber Leadership;
Chief Information Officer (CIO); Chief Financial Officer (CFO); Chief Information Security
Officer (CISO); Information Technology Program Management (ITPM); Enterprise Architecture
(EA); Government Strategic Leader (GSL); and, Advanced Management Program (AMP).
The graduates represented the Services and Combatant Commands within the Department of
Defense, other US Government agencies, private sector organizations, and international defense
ministries (Czech Republic, Sweden, Republic of Korea).
Dr. Robert D. Childs, Chancellor of the NDU iCollege, welcomed graduates, guests, and faculty
members. Dr. Childs talked about the college’s successes and perseverance through recent
government cutbacks and the way ahead for education in the cyber arena. He also discussed
the college’s current initiatives to collaborate with National Intelligence University (NIU) on
a cooperative Master’s Degree in Cyber, integrate cyber coursework and a possible Master’s
Degree into Joint Professional Military Education (JPME), host a “Cyber Beacon” focus group in
July 2013 to ensure the best cyber education at NDU, and continue current work with U.S. Cyber
Command and the COCOMs to help meet their leadership education needs. Finally, Childs
highlighted the recent college effort with the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA)
to educate 250 GS-15s in a new, mandatory 24-month program that DISA Director Ronnie
Hawkins established, requiring his leaders to complete education at the NDU iCollege.
Dr. Childs then introduced the guest speaker, Ms. Melissa Hathaway, former acting senior
director for cyberspace at the National Security Council. Ms. Hathaway directed Cyberspace
Policy Review at the White House for Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama until
August 2009, when she left to establish Hathaway Global Strategies, LLC. She led President
Obama's 60-Day Cyberspace Policy Review from February-May 2009. Ms. Hathaway guided
the graduates through a brief history of IT and cyber and outlined her thoughts for the future of
cyber security and information leadership.
Additionally, several of the NDU iCollege’s partners presented honorary awards to distinguished
graduates as follows:
- OMB presented the CFO Program Award for Academic Excellence to Mr. Chris Fredericks,
- AFCEA presented the CIO Program Award to LTC Bradley Cook and the Advanced
Management Program (AMP) Award to Mr. Jeffrey Whiddon,
- CACI Technologies, Inc. presented the Cyber Security Program Award to Lt Col Mark
Steven Danehy (in absence),
- AMP Director, Dr. Gerry Gingrich, presented the AMP plaque to Dr. Childs.
Two additional awards were presented at the ceremony. The John M. Carabello Prize (named
for the first Dean of the iCollege) was presented by the NDU Foundation to Professor John
Saunders for excellence in teaching, research, and outreach. Dr. Saunders has conducted many
years of research in the field of critical infrastructure protection and has become well known and
much sought after for his work and teaching in this area. Finally, the college named its 2013
inductee into the NDU iCollege Hall of Fame - the Honorable John G. Grimes, former Assistant
Secretary of Defense for Networks and Information Integration and DOD CIO from 2005 to
2009. Mr. Grimes was honored for his continued and ongoing support the NDU iCollege, both
nationally and internationally.
After the ceremony, students, family members, special guests, and the college staff/faculty
enjoyed a reception in honor of the graduates. The reception was sponsored by the NDU
Foundation. The NDU iCollege holds its annual certificate graduation ceremony each spring.
The college’s Master’s Degree graduates will join the larger NDU Graduation in June 2013.