Southeast Missouri State cybersecurity student headed to White House

Joe Surmeier, a Southeast Missouri State University senior cybersecurity major from Kansas City, Missouri, has been invited to attend a recognition dinner and round-table with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday at the White House.

Surmeier was part of the Cyber Student Volunteer Initiative Secretary's Honor Program as a student intern this past summer, working in the Intelligence and Analysis Office of DHS, assisting with cybersecurity.

Surmeier is a senior at Southeast and plans to graduate in December 2015.

He left for Washington this morning.

Southeast launched its cybersecurity program in fall 2011 to address the growing demand for professionals to protect computers and computer networks from assault. It is housed in Southeast's Department of Polytechnic Studies in the College of Science, Technology and Agriculture.

It was the first program in Missouri to offer its graduates a bachelor of science in cybersecurity and started with 15 students. Today, about 100 students are participating in the program.