In accordance with the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Section 1531, the Department of Defense (DoD), Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) has established the Cyber Academic Engagement Office (CAEO) to serve as the consolidated focal point for cyber-related activities carried out between the DoD and academia stakeholders.
Mark Gorak, who currently serves as the Principal Director for Resources and Analysis, will dual-hat and assume the responsibilities as Director for the CAEO effective immediately.
Gorak's responsibilities will include coordinating and funding academic engagement programs for the Department, conducting ongoing analysis of performance for cyber-related educational efforts, establishing requirements, policies, and procedures to collect data on, and evaluating the performance of covered academic engagement programs.
The DoD remains committed to force readiness and sees this opportunity as a meaningful next step in fortifying the nation's cyber posture for current and future generations.
More information about DoD cyber workforce initiatives can be found at https://dodcio.defense.gov/Cyber-Workforce/CWS/.