About Us

History & Introduction

In 2018, a proposal to establish a university-level Center for Cybersecurity was submitted to the NC A&T Board of Trustees. The stated purpose was to advance research in cybersecurity, with a focus on research, development, and education, and to advance the university’s research culture to achieve the goals of A&T Preeminence. Success of the Center would be demonstrated by inclusive engagement of faculty, staff, students, administrators, colleges, and schools.

In February 2019, an interim director of the Center was named, and a part-time administrative core was established to focus on operations and setup. In March and April, several meetings were conducted with two primary purposes:

(1) to establish a central identity with a focus on faculty engagement,
(2) to develop CREO’s strategic plan.

With the assistance of a consultant, the strategic plan was drafted, revisited, and endorsed on April 24, 2019. The name of the Center was later modified based on feedback, research, and voting by affiliated faculty to its current name: Center of Excellence in Cybersecurity Research, Education and Outreach (CREO).