Dr. Bryson Payne has been named the director of the University of North Georgia's (UNG) Institute for Cyber Operations, which is housed in the Mike Cottrell College of Business (MCCB). Payne is also a professor of cybersecurity.

"Dr. Payne brings his passion for cybersecurity education, his extensive knowledge of the field and his expertise at developing cyber professionals to this role," Dr. Mary Gowan, MCCB dean, said. "We look forward to seeing how the institute will continue to flourish under his leadership."

Payne previously founded the Center for Cyber Operations Education, the forerunner of the Institute for Cyber Operations, which provides professional development for future cyber professionals. The institute is funded by a multimillion-dollar, multiyear grant as part of the Senior Military Consortium funding by the U.S. Department of Defense. UNG is also a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense, as designated by the National Security Agency (NSA) and Department of Homeland Security.

Some of the most meaningful parts of the job for Payne include connecting students with internships with government agencies, scholarships, certifications, and research presentation opportunities across the world.

"They get to see what it's like to be professionals by going to cyber conferences, and the certifications really make them stand out," Payne said. "Through internships, students are able to make connections in agencies before graduation."

In his role, Payne also oversees the Cyber Leadership Development Program (CLDP), which serves 20-30 students per year.

Additionally, he coaches the UNG Cyber Hawks, who have recorded seven consecutive top-eight finishes in the NSA Codebreaker Challenge, including first-place showings in 2019 and 2020 and a second-place result in 2023. He holds a Ph.D. in computer science and has taught computer science and cybersecurity for more than 27 years, and has earned multiple industry credentials including CISSP, GPEN, CEH, GRID, and GIAC Reverse Engineering Malware (GREM) certifications. He is the author of three books: "Go Hack Yourself," "Learn Java the Easy Way" and "Teach Your Kids to Code."

Payne has served as a reverse engineering coach and senior technical mentor for the 2021-2025 U.S. Cyber Teams. He was the first department head of computer science at UNG and enjoys working with K-12 schools worldwide to promote computer science education.

He has written and collaborated in grants totaling over $81 million for workforce development, technology education, and cybersecurity. His Udemy course has reached over 78,000 students from more than 180 countries, and his research includes more than 100 peer-reviewed articles and over 200 conference presentations on six continents.

Caitlin Conneely serves as deputy director for operations and outreach for the Institute for Cyber Operations. Conneely began working with the institute when it first launched in September 2021 in a part-time role working on CyberStart America in Georgia and transitioned into a full-time cyber program officer by March 2022.

She was promoted to the deputy director role in July 2024 when the role was created. While her work with the institute began primarily through outreach to high school students seeking to encourage them to consider UNG, Conneely has enjoyed transitioning to helping current students take advantage of the professional development services available to them.

"I love that our students feel comfortable enough to stop by and ask for advice," Conneely said.

In addition to Payne and Conneely, the institute includes administrative assistant Kim Bruner and instructional technology support specialist Daniel Baker. Conneely said that with Payne leading the institute, the group is clear about what comes next.

"We have a really good understanding of our mission and how we want to move forward," she said. "We're really going to do a lot of great things for students both now and in the future."