Tony Coulson, executive director of Cal State San Bernardino’s Cybersecurity Center and three of his students and an alumnus will talk about the center and cybersecurity during a Virtual American Congressional Exchange (VACE) briefing at noon Pacific Time today, Tuesday, Oct. 6, hosted by the Bipartisan Policy Center.

Coulson, who is a professor of information and decision sciences at the Jack H. Brown College of Business and Public Administration, and the students and alumnus will also be talking about programs at the center including the Center for Academic Excellence.

The Virtual American Congressional Exchange will feature U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., and U.S. Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-San Bernardino. Both serve on the Congressional Appropriations Committee.

The event will also feature discussion of policy issues related to cybersecurity with a focus on education, the Cyberspace Solarium Commission Report, ethical issues and preparedness.

The second part of the program involves the two congressmen and Frank Pine, executive editor, Southern California News Group; Jessica Keating, editor, Redlands Daily Facts; and Ryan Hagen, reporter, Southern California News Group for a discussion on opportunities for bipartisanship in the Congress.

The Bipartisan Policy Center is a Washington, D.C., -based think tank that actively fosters working across political party lines by combining the best ideas from both parties to promote health, security and opportunity for all Americans. The center’s policy solutions are the product of informed deliberations by former elected and appointed officials, business and labor leaders, and academics and advocates who represent both sides of the political spectrum.

During his tenure at CSUSB, Coulson has led more than 20 grant-funded cybersecurity projects totaling more than $18 million. Coulson also led the establishment of a nationally acclaimed cybersecurity program that spans business, computer science, national security studies, criminal justice and public administration. The program is designated as a Center of Academic Excellence (CAE) in Cyber Defense Education by the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security.

Coulson is a globally recognized cybersecurity expert and leads the CAE Community Cybersecurity Education (caecommunity.org) as an NSA National Resource Center for more than 265 colleges and universities. He has consulted on cybersecurity issues for Congress, federal agencies and private organizations. He belongs to several boards and has won numerous academic, national and community awards.