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Spelman College Opens Cybersecurity Clinic to Strengthen Community Security and Prepare Future Tech Leaders

globenewswire.com
GOOG Google.org provided a $1 million grant to Spelman College for its new Cybersecurity Clinic, as part of a larger collaboration. The article does not provide specific sentiment about Google's stock performance or business operations.

Spelman College Opens Cybersecurity Clinic to Strengthen Community Security and Prepare Future Tech Leaders ATLANTA, Oct. 26, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Spelman College Computer and Information Sciences Department recently hosted the grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony of the Spelman Cybersecurity Clinic, also known as The SPEAR (Security Plan, Education, Assessment, and Remediation). The clinic will provide cybersecurity services to community organizations, including small businesses, nonprofits, cities and towns and more, while giving students real-world cybersecurity experience.

The idea for the cybersecurity clinic grew from a collaboration between Raquel Hill, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Computer and Information Sciences at Spelman, and Kerry Hixon, director of cybersecurity and I.T. compliance at Spelman. The clinic was developed through a $1 million grant from Google.org as part of a $25 million collaboration with the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics, an international network of university-based cybersecurity clinics and allies working to advance cybersecurity education for public good.

“This clinic directly embodies Spelman’s core mission and strategic vision. Through SPEAR, Spelman is not merely participating in the tech landscape; we’re actively shaping and securing it,” said Spelman President Ayanna Howard during her remarks at the grant opening. “Spelman is committed to evolving our academic pedagogy, equipping students with career ready consulting skills, and modernizing our digital infrastructure, and SPEAR fulfills that promise.”

According to the World Economic Forum's 2026 Global Risks Report, cyber insecurity remains one of the top 10 global risks over the next two and 10 years. Currently, there are nearly 515,000 open cybersecurity jobs available in the U.S, including over 17,000 in Georgia.

The Spelman Cybersecurity Clinic launched as part of the College’s annual Geek Week. Sponsored by the Computer & Information Sciences Department, this year’s Geek Week focused on a future-ready cybersecurity workforce with speakers, panel discussions, formal meetings and more.

“Computers and their applications touch almost every aspect of our lives, including banking, retail, water systems, transportation, agriculture and power production. Our well-being and livelihood depend on these services being available and usable,” said Dr. Hill. “Spelman is preparing the next generation of Cybersecurity experts to assess and remediate risks in our current digital environments and to design and implement a more secure future for all.”

Spelman is one of 49 clinics in the U.S. and one of 15 new clinics recently launched at higher education institutions across the country. To learn more about the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics, visit cybersecurityclinics.org.

About Spelman College

Founded in 1881, Spelman College is a leading liberal arts college widely recognized as the global leader in the education of women of African descent. Located in Atlanta, the College’s picturesque campus is home to 2,700 students. Spelman is the country's leading producer of Black women who complete Ph.D.s in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The College’s status is confirmed by the U.S. News & World Report, which ranked Spelman No. 34 among all liberal arts colleges, No. 34 for undergraduate teaching, No. 2 for social mobility among liberal arts colleges, and No. 1 for the 20th year among historically Black colleges and universities. Recent initiatives include a designation by the Department of Defense as a Center of Excellence for Minority Women in STEM, a Gender and Sexuality Studies Institute, the first endowed queer studies chair at an HBCU and a program to increase the number of Black women Ph.D.s in economics. New majors, minors and programs have been added, including documentary filmmaking and photography, refugee studies, gaming, and the first undergraduate cosmetic science program at an HBCU. Collaborations have been also established with MIT’s Media Lab, the Broad Institute and the Army Research Lab for artificial intelligence and machine learning, among others.

Outstanding alumnae include Children’s Defense Fund founder Marian Wright Edelman, former Walgreens Boots Alliance CEO Rosalind Brewer, political leader Stacey Abrams, Federal Reserve Governor Lisa D. Cook, former Acting Surgeon General and Spelman’s first alumna president Audrey Forbes Manley, Harvard University professor and former Dean Evelynn Hammonds, actress and producer Latanya Richardson Jackson, global bioinformatics geneticist Janina Jeff and authors Pearl Cleage and Tayari Jones.

To learn more, please visit spelman.edu and @spelmancollege on social media.