Auburn University announced the hire of former Homeland Security official and cyber expert Frank Cilluffo to lead Auburn's Charles D. McCrary Institute.
The Institute will research advancements in infrastructure and cybersecurity, and Cilluffo's appointment is effective Sept. 17.
The McCrary Institure is named after former Alabama Power Company President and CEO Charles McCrary, who graduated from AUburn in 1973 with a degree in mechanical engineering. He now serves on the Auburn University Board of Trustees.
Cilluffo said the Institute will work to "turn concepts into capabilities" and will meet the needs of industry and government.
“Frank is one of the world’s pre-eminent experts on cybersecurity and homeland security, and we are excited to have someone of his caliber leading such an important endeavor,” said Christopher Roberts, dean of engineering, in a statement.
Cilluffo established the Center for Cyber and Homeland Security at George Washing Univeristy in 2003. Before his work with the university, he was appointed by former President George W. Bush following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
During that time, he serves as an adviser to Director Tom Ridge, directing the president's Homeland Security Advisory Council.
“I am excited to join a first-class university and high-caliber team committed to tackling some of the greatest national and economic security challenges facing our country today,” Cilluffo said in a statement. “As the cyber threat landscape continues to evolve, so too must our response. The time has come to move beyond ‘admiring the problem,’ toward implementing solutions.
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