Four-Time Fulbright Specialist to Teach Cybersecurity in Botswana

Add one more reason why Maurice Dawson is considered as one of Illinois Institute of Technology’s top cybersecurity experts. In late March the assistant professor and director of the Center for Cyber Security and Forensics Education at the School of Applied Technology received his fourth honor in the Fulbright Program, recognized as a United States scholar who will travel to Botswana to teach courses in cybersecurity and forensics.   

“This honor is very meaningful to me—it is a significant grant win from a very prestigious and venerable organization,” says Dawson, who obtained three awards from the Fulbright Specialist Program beginning in 2014 to Russia, followed by grants to Bangladesh (trip eventually canceled because of security issues within country) and Saudi Arabia. Earlier this year he also served as a member of the Fulbright Specialist Peer Review Team, reviewing candidate applications and providing review process insight.

Dawson will provide lectures to undergraduates at Botswana International University of Science and Technology over a four- or five-month period during late-summer through fall 2021. While local teaching instructors and assistants will conduct associated labs and tutorials, Dawson is responsible for planning the supplemental coursework.

This type of collaboration is the cornerstone of the Fulbright Program, which was introduced to the U.S. Congress in 1945 by Arkansas Senator J. William Fulbright, who recommended that proceeds from the sales of surplus war property be used to fund the “promotion of international good will through the exchange of students in the fields of education, culture, and science.” The program began the following year and now operates in more than 160 countries worldwide, offers various competitive, merit-based grants to students, scholars, teachers, professionals, and groups. To date, some 370,000 individuals have participated in the Fulbright Program.  

“I would like to congratulate Maurice Dawson on his Fulbright award to Botswana,” says SAT Professor and Dean C. Robert “Bob” Carlson. “He has demonstrated a commitment to sharing his expertise internationally; the Fulbright grant is a reflection of his leadership and contributions to the field of cybersecurity. We are proud to have him as an Illinois Tech Department of Information Technology and Management faculty member. We would also like to thank the Fulbright Program for the international students whose scholarships enabled them to study with us in the information technology and management programs.”