The Center for Education and Research in Information Assurance and Security (CERIAS)
The Center for Education and Research inInformation Assurance and Security (CERIAS)
Want to get some authentic CERIAS and Spaf swag? Read on!
CERIAS offices are moving in a matter of weeks. We don't want to have to box up everything, especially items we aren't likely to use any time soon (if ever) at the new location. Plus, some of these things are items we've heard people might like to have for themselves.
So.... We're going to give some of it away!
What's the catch? Well, we want to encourage people to do something good for others. And, as an institute (CERIAS) at a university (Purdue) and a life-long educator (Spaf), we thought that helping deserving students get cybersecurity education would be the way to do that.
To get some of the swag, as listed below, you need to make a donation to one of these charitable scholarships no later than August 5th, and provide proof of the donation and amount. We'll then package up your gifts and send them (we'll cover shipping inside the United States; if you are outside the U.S. we'll need to negotiate the shipping and any customs).
What charities? Only some of the best for cybersecurity students, and all established in memory of some pioneers in the field:
We'll note here that these are also worthwhile for regular donations. As non-profits, there may be tax advantages to your donations. And be sure to check if your employer has a matching donation program!
We have established the donation. What's the swag? While supplies last:
First, make a qualifying donation to one of the charities. Send proof of the donation, your address, and your shirt/hoodie/jacket size to: <spaf@cerias.purdue.edu>. You'll get the listed items while supplies last. If we run out of an item we will substitute an item of equal or better value.
| Minimum donation | Items shipped |
|---|---|
| $150 | 2 of Spaf's coffee mugs plus a CERIAS challenge coin |
| $200 | An additional item of CERIAS-branded merchandise plus 1 CERIAS mug |
| $300 | A copy of the book in addition to the above, plus an additional CERIAS item. | $500 | All of the above, plus 2 additional coffee mugs, plus a CERIAS logo fabric briefcase or portfolio. |
Remember, these are really all extra gifts. The real value is you making a donation to a worthwhile charity to help some deserving people study cybersecurity!
While cleaning out the storage closet we found a dozen remaining Spaf bobbleheads. This is the last of this collector's item! 
To get one, send us a check for a minimum of $100 made out to "Purdue University" with "Donation to CERIAS" on the memo line. (And, to be clear, Purdue University is also a non-profit entity.) Send the check with your return address to:
Bobblehead c/o Shawn Huddy
CERIAS -- Purdue University
656 Oval Drive
West Lafayette, IN 47907-2086
In May of 1998, Purdue chartered CERIAS -- the Center of Education and Research In Information Assurance and Security -- as a campus-wide, multidisciplinary center for the new (at the time) field of cybersecurity. CERIAS grew out of the COAST Laboratory in the CS department. Our original core of a half-dozen faculty spanned several of the departments and colleges at Purdue and thus warranted a university-level institute.
As part of its commitment to the new center, Purdue University renovated most of the 2nd floor of the Recitation Building on the central campus for CERIAS. The 2nd floor was originally classrooms. We moved into the redone space in early 1999. The space involved a conference room, a small library, a small kitchen and lounge, offices for 10 faculty and staff, and a half-dozen shared offices for grad students. We also had two dedicated rooms on the 4th floor -- one as a protected machine room, and one as a lab.
The space in REC has served us well since then. We were located near the CS, ECE, and CNIT departments, in a building with great character, including flooring made from birds-eye maple planks. We also had to cope with some of the idiosyncrasies of an older building, including cranky HVAC and leaky pipes. (Recitation was originally completed in 1923.) CERIAS grew into a world-renowned entity with over 150 associated faculty across campus and many hundreds of their students.
Over the last few years in particular, Purdue overall has prospered, with increasing prestige and growing enrollment. Last year, Purdue had over 50,000 students enrolled at the main campus! Having frozen tuition for a decade has undoubtedly helped to make a Purdue education even more attractive, despite the increasingly-rigorous admission standards. There has been an associated boom in new buildings -- with over two dozen new dormitories, laboratories, and co-working space for collaborations with companies and national labs. This has included construction of the Discovery Park District.
Last year, as part of a master planning process, university administration decreed some reorganization. Many administrative and academic programs are moving to accomodate growth, move related groups near each other, and make better use of space. That includes CERIAS!
As of August 15, we are bidding adieu to Recitation. For the following 4 months we will be virtual as our new "galactic headquarters" is being finished. Meanwhile, our space in Recitation will be renovated info offices and meeting space for the Dean of Students
In January, we will be moving into our new offices and lab space on the 3rd floor of the Convergence Center on campus. Convergence is part of the public-private partnerships idea that Purdue has been promoting over the last few years. It is a building owned and operated by a private company, located on the university and housing several campus departments as well as industry offices. It was completed in 2020 and presents exciting new possibilities for our next 25 years.
Our new space will be bright and airy, with lots of windows. We'll have more offices, lots of work spaces for students, several labs, and multiple meeting rooms. We'll also have dedicated space for co-location of researchers of some CERIAS partners (with Sandia National Labs the first such partner).
If you want to visit us between August 15 and January 15, let us know and we'll find a room on campus to meet with you. After the 15th, come visit us at our new offices!
Our new address will be:
During and after the transition we expect our phone numbers and email addresses to be unchanged. Our web pages will continue to be active. Our phones will forward to wherever we are during the build-out phase, so you will be able to reach us as always.
While we're at it, mark your calendars for March 28 & 29 --- the annual CERIAS Symposium. We're celebrating our 25th anniversary and you are all invited!
