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VOA教育报道2024--How a Small College Became a Top High-tech University

时间:2024-09-13 01:17来源:互联网 提供网友:nan   字体: [ ]
    (单词翻译:双击或拖选)

A measure begun 40 years ago by South Dakota lawmakers and state higher education leaders has turned a small rural college into one of the top high-tech1 universities in the United States.

It began at a time when the future of Dakota State College itself was in question.

In 1984, the South Dakota Board of Regents, which oversees2 the school, was under pressure to cut its budget. It closed one college and turned it into a prison.

Soon after, a new law went into effect. The measure put technology at the center of all Dakota State's study programs.

The decision to reinvent a teacher's college founded in 1881 in a rural city of 6,000 people seemed risky3. But, at around the same time, Citibank, a major financial services company, decided4 to headquarter its credit card business in Sioux Falls, a city near the college.

José-Marie Griffiths is the current president of Dakota State University (DSU). The school changed its name from college to university in 1989.

Griffiths said Citibank was looking for computer programmers, and "somebody came up with the idea that, well, we could turn this college that's fumbling5 a little bit into a computer school with software development and engineering."

Griffiths told South Dakota News Watch, "That way, we could supply the needed programmers to the Sioux Falls workforce6 for Citibank and ultimately for others...."

Change was not fully7 supported at first

Lynette Molstad Gorder was teaching at DSU 40 years ago when the change to a high-tech campus began. She said, at first, some members of the college community were unsure about the change, and its effect on people and programs.

"Later on we looked upon it as a welcome opportunity," she said. "It was kind of hazy8 (at first) and then all of a sudden, it just clicked."

Suddenly, computers replaced pens, pencils and typewriters in classrooms. And later, the move into computer science and then cyber security, she said.

The jump into technology at DSU started with a bachelor's degree in computer science using teaching materials from IBM. The teaching of computer science and software development along with industry partnership9 laid the groundwork for what was to come, Griffiths said.

With a mix of private and public money, the university expanded the school and its offerings.

In 2004, the National Security Agency named DSU a Center of Academic Excellence10 in computer security, one of the first in the nation.

The number of students has also risen steadily11, from 867 in 1985 to 3,509 in 2023. The university said DSU now offers 44 degrees, including seven master's degrees and four doctoral programs.

In 2017, DSU started Madison Cyber Labs with money from the state and local businesses. It expanded research at the university to include cyber security, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, among others.

The school is now planning an expansion into Sioux Falls itself. The plan includes partnerships12 with another research center and a cyber academy program for high school students.

DSU is also pushing the state for more money to start a new center for quantum computing13.

Opportunities for DSU graduates

Jen Easterly is director of the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure14 Security Agency. She was the lead speaker at a DSU cybersecurity event last March.

Easterly said that before she visited Madison, she had been hearing increasing discussion on the national level about the growth and innovation taking place at DSU.

She said, "The ideas generated at forums15 like this are just further proof that it doesn't matter the size of the university. ..."

Alexis Kulm graduated from DSU in December of 2022. She studied cyber operations there.

The 23-year-old said she liked the small-town feel of the college. She took classes in web and network design, computer programming and malware analysis. All of them, she said, helped prepare her for the cyber workplace.

"You get a strong real-world education in your classes," Kulm said.

Kulm also said she had several job offers after graduating. She chose Sanford Health, a company in Sioux Falls. It has a partnership with the university to increase employment opportunities for DSU graduates.

Kulm is not the only DSU graduate to stay in South Dakota. Jon Waldman and Chad Knutson were in the class of 2006. Soon after graduating, they set up a business together right in Madison. Their 90-employee company SBS CyberSecurity serves the banking16 industry in 49 states.

Waldman said DSU has "a commitment to innovation" that makes it easy for students to remain on top of the always-changing cyber technology and security industry.

Words in This Story

fumble17 - v. to handle something clumsily or awkwardly

ultimately - adv. at the end of the process

innovation - n. new idea, method


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 high-tech high-tech     
adj.高科技的
参考例句:
  • The economy is in the upswing which makes high-tech services in more demand too.经济在蓬勃发展,这就使对高科技服务的需求量也在加大。
  • The quest of a cure for disease with high-tech has never ceased. 人们希望运用高科技治疗疾病的追求从未停止过。
2 oversees 4607550c43b2b83434e5e72ac137def4     
v.监督,监视( oversee的第三人称单数 )
参考例句:
  • She oversees both the research and the manufacturing departments. 她既监督研究部门又监督生产部门。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The Department of Education oversees the federal programs dealing with education. 教育部监管处理教育的联邦程序。 来自互联网
3 risky IXVxe     
adj.有风险的,冒险的
参考例句:
  • It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险,但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
  • He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。
4 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
参考例句:
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
5 fumbling fumbling     
n. 摸索,漏接 v. 摸索,摸弄,笨拙的处理
参考例句:
  • If he actually managed to the ball instead of fumbling it with an off-balance shot. 如果他实际上设法拿好球而不是fumbling它。50-balance射击笨拙地和迅速地会开始他的岗位移动,经常这样结束。
  • If he actually managed to secure the ball instead of fumbling it awkwardly an off-balance shot. 如果他实际上设法拿好球而不是fumbling它。50-50提议有时。他从off-balance射击笨拙地和迅速地会开始他的岗位移动,经常这样结束。
6 workforce workforce     
n.劳动大军,劳动力
参考例句:
  • A large part of the workforce is employed in agriculture.劳动人口中一大部分受雇于农业。
  • A quarter of the local workforce is unemployed.本地劳动力中有四分之一失业。
7 fully Gfuzd     
adv.完全地,全部地,彻底地;充分地
参考例句:
  • The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气,然后全部呼出。
  • They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。
8 hazy h53ya     
adj.有薄雾的,朦胧的;不肯定的,模糊的
参考例句:
  • We couldn't see far because it was so hazy.雾气蒙蒙妨碍了我们的视线。
  • I have a hazy memory of those early years.对那些早先的岁月我有着朦胧的记忆。
9 partnership NmfzPy     
n.合作关系,伙伴关系
参考例句:
  • The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
  • Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。
10 excellence ZnhxM     
n.优秀,杰出,(pl.)优点,美德
参考例句:
  • His art has reached a high degree of excellence.他的艺术已达到炉火纯青的地步。
  • My performance is far below excellence.我的表演离优秀还差得远呢。
11 steadily Qukw6     
adv.稳定地;不变地;持续地
参考例句:
  • The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
  • Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。
12 partnerships ce2e6aff420d72bbf56e8077be344bc9     
n.伙伴关系( partnership的名词复数 );合伙人身份;合作关系
参考例句:
  • Partnerships suffer another major disadvantage: decision-making is shared. 合伙企业的另一主要缺点是决定要由大家来作。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
  • It involved selling off limited partnerships. 它涉及到售出有限的合伙权。 来自辞典例句
13 computing tvBzxs     
n.计算
参考例句:
  • to work in computing 从事信息处理
  • Back in the dark ages of computing, in about 1980, they started a software company. 早在计算机尚未普及的时代(约1980年),他们就创办了软件公司。
14 infrastructure UbBz5     
n.下部构造,下部组织,基础结构,基础设施
参考例句:
  • We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
  • We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设,发展各类群众文化。
15 forums 68daf8bdc8755fe8f4859024b3054fb8     
讨论会; 座谈会; 广播专题讲话节目; 集会的公共场所( forum的名词复数 ); 论坛,讨论会,专题讨论节目; 法庭
参考例句:
  • A few of the forums were being closely monitored by the administrators. 有些论坛被管理员严密监控。
  • It can cast a dark cloud over these forums. 它将是的论坛上空布满乌云。
16 banking aySz20     
n.银行业,银行学,金融业
参考例句:
  • John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
  • He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。
17 fumble P6byh     
vi.笨拙地用手摸、弄、接等,摸索
参考例句:
  • His awkwardness made him fumble with the key.由于尴尬不安,他拿钥匙开锁时显得笨手笨脚。
  • He fumbled his one-handed attempt to light his cigarette.他笨拙地想用一只手点燃香烟。
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