The Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics mourns the profound loss on October 5 of Dr. Kevin Harris, a dedicated leader and advocate who helped shepherd our community beginning in May 2022. Kevin’s commitment to diversity and inclusion in cybersecurity education leaves a lasting legacy within the Consortium.

While his work for cybersecurity clinics was just part of his broader leadership in the community, we want to share a window into what he meant to those who knew him as a friend and colleague in the Consortium.

Kevin was a trailblazer when he launched a cybersecurity clinic at Stillman College, the first Historically Black College or University (HBCU) to adopt the clinic model. Under his leadership, the DEI Cybersecurity Clinic at Stillman focused on building a diverse pipeline into the workforce and supporting underserved small- to mid-sized, minority-owned organizations. 

His vision and commitment to creating new opportunities for historically underrepresented communities resonated deeply with the Consortium’s mission. His message to other HBCUs was simple yet powerful: “If we could do it at Stillman, you can do it, too.”

Kevin quickly became a mentor for smaller schools, liberal arts programs, and minority-serving institutions, especially HBCUs, seeking to start clinics. He served as a spokesperson on the Consortium’s “What is a Cybersecurity Clinic?” video, helped lead our first Cyber Clinics Training Workshop, and served on the Consortium’s Clinics Fundraising Subcommittee. 

“Kevin Harris joined the Consortium when it included only a handful of university-based cybersecurity clinics, and he was instrumental in shaping the Consortium’s mission and values,” said Ann Cleaveland, Co-Chair of the Consortium. “He will be remembered for many things, but most of all for giving his time so generously to inspire and advocate for under-represented students and client organizations to engage in community-based cybersecurity.”

“Dr. Harris played a pivotal role in Google’s decision to provide $500,000 to Stillman College in support of the first cybersecurity clinic at an HBCU,” said Maab Ibrahim, Cybersecurity Lead at Google.org, Google’s philanthropy. “His leadership inspired and facilitated our funding for additional clinics at Minority-Serving Institutions across the Consortium, which now includes four other HBCUs, as well as tribal and women-serving colleges — a legacy that will forever honor his memory.” 

Dr. Harris was dedicated to building a more inclusive field and boosting HBCUs as marquee cybersecurity training institutions. At the time of his passing, he was creating a community of practice within the Consortium for HBCUs to meet and share best practices, just a year after launching Stillman’s own clinic.

Ameerreia Campbell was one among many students at Stillman who participated in the clinic and benefitted from Kevin’s mentorship and guidance. “Without Dr. Harris’ influence I would never have been exposed to the opportunities and the great community in cybersecurity that I’ve been blessed to experience because of his generosity,” Campbell says. “I will never forget speaking at the Cyber Civil Defense Summit this past summer because he challenged me to take on that opportunity, or all the ways he guided me and other students to grow and develop under his mentorship.” 

We invite you to watch the “What is a Cybersecurity Clinic?” video, learn more about the HBCU Cybersecurity Clinic Center, read the Forbes article on Kevin’s work at Stillman College, and read a Q&A with Kevin, as featured by the Public Interest Technology University Network (PIT-UN).  

The Consortium’s leadership team and member institutions have been blessed to work with Dr. Harris over the years, and more so to call him a dear friend. He will continue to inspire our members, students, and clients for years to come.

An obituary and guestbook to record reflections and memories on Dr. Harris is available at https://www.newgenerationfh.com/obituary/kevin-harris.

More than 30 individuals affiliated with the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics attended the June 2024 Cyber Civil Defense Summit in Washington D.C., joining more than 150 additional cyber defenders, academics, and policymakers who share a mission of protecting under-resourced community organizations against cybersecurity threats. This was the second convening of the day-long annual conference — orchestrated by the UC Berkeley Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity (CLTC), which co-founded and co-chairs the Consortium, and made possible with a grant from Craig Newmark Philanthropies. 

Consortium representatives engaged throughout the robust agenda, scoped under the theme “Data Driven Resilience.” The Summit’s panels and presentations surfaced a range of valuable insights, including how volunteer-based programs like cybersecurity clinics are essential — but more must be done to provide incentives and fill the talent pipeline. 

Read more takeaways from the Summit on the CLTC website:
https://cltc.berkeley.edu/2024/07/18/eight-key-takeaways-from-the-cyber-civil-defense-summit/

Want to start a clinic? Check our our resources and learn more about our community of 33 (and counting!) members. 

The Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics is pleased to announce that Matthew Nagamine will serve as Membership Director, responsible for developing and implementing strategic priorities for the Consortium, onboarding and stewarding member clinics, and working with Consortium leadership to achieve its mission of launching a university, college, or community-college based clinic in all 50 U.S. states by 2030. 

We sat down with Matt to learn more about his background, what he’s most looking forward to in his new role, and his vision for the Consortium.

Matt Nagamine has been CLTC’s Manager of Strategic Partnerships since 2018, where he has cultivated impactful relationships with key partners and allies to support CLTC’s programs. During his tenure Matt has managed multiple flagship projects including Cybersecurity Futures 2030 and CLTC’s Research Grants Program. In early 2021, Matt played a key role in getting the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics up and running. He researched and built the first backend systems for the Consortium, set-up monthly meetings, managed an RFP for Members, administered grants, and helped with the first Clinic of Clinics student networking event. Matt also co-led the creation and implementation of CLTC’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging strategic plan.

Matt earned his bachelor’s degree in Political Science with a minor in African American Studies from UC Berkeley, where he conducted research in Professor Nikki Jones’ Justice Interactions Lab, exploring the intersections of race, gender, and justice.

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What attracted you to the Consortium’s mission?

What’s not to love? The Consortium’s purpose is to support a network of colleges and universities in building and growing cybersecurity clinics. These clinics educate and train students for the cybersecurity workforce while helping protect vulnerable organizations from cyber attacks. I was fortunate to contribute to the Consortium in 2018 by building the first back-end systems, setting up the first monthly meetings, facilitating an RFP that administered the Consortium’s first grants to members. Since then, I’ve had a front row seat observing how the Consortium has made clinics more effective by facilitating information sharing among members—and how making this knowledge accessible to others has significantly lowered the barriers for more universities to establish clinics of their own.

What will you be doing as Membership Director? What do you hope to achieve in the role?

In recent months, the Consortium has experienced a tremendous amount of growth, with new members in many states, major investments from funders, and increased visibility at the NICE cybersecurity conference and Cyber Civil Defense Summit. The Consortium now needs full-time support from someone who can provide leadership, structure, and organization for its members. As the Membership Director, I aim to drive both short- and long-term strategies that will significantly enhance the membership experience and the Consortium’s ability to support clinics in delivering high-quality training for students and services for their clients.

What aspects of the role most excite you?

I am most excited to meet, support, and work alongside this incredible group of cyber civil defenders. The Consortium and its members—an impressive and diverse network of academic institutions, including community colleges, Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), tribal colleges, and international universities—are already doing amazing work. I’m fired up about helping these members become better connected and more effective through their membership.

Clinics are often championed for helping defend “civil society” and to grow and diversify the cyber workforce – why is this important, broadly, and to you personally?

This model addresses two major gaps in the cybersecurity field: 1) helping low-resource or otherwise vulnerable organizations that are providing crucial services to their communities to improve their cybersecurity posture with no-cost, direct assistance; and 2) equipping students, including many traditionally under-represented in the field of cybersecurity, with practical skills and real-world experiences that are transferable to the cybersecurity job market. Filling these gaps is crucial to achieving more secure and more equitable cybersecurity outcomes for everyone. I believe in and am excited to contribute to the grassroots, community-based approaches that Consortium members take to expand who participates in and has access to cybersecurity.

What’s something you want the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics community to know about you?

Last year, I led CLTC’s Cybersecurity Futures 2030 initiative, in partnership with the World Economic Forum’s Centre for Cybersecurity, which gathered global perspectives on how cybersecurity will evolve by 2030, providing decision-makers with strategic foresight to improve the decisions they make today. Through this work, I truly understood the importance of incorporating diverse perspectives to understand and solve issues. This experience reinforced my commitment to inclusive practices and to cybersecurity on a global scale.

What have you learned from working in the cybersecurity field that you’ll take with you?

Relationships and collaboration have been at the core of my work managing strategic partnerships at the UC Berkeley Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity (CLTC). I’ve learned that the most complex challenges in cybersecurity often can only be addressed through strong, trustworthy partnerships. I think this is true for Consortium members and the student and client communities they serve. These lessons will guide me in my role as Membership Director, helping to support our members and advance our mission.