The University of Hawaii Maui College has received more than $660,000 in National Science Foundation funding to expand artificial intelligence and cybersecurity education, addressing a workforce shortage that puts Hawaii among the top five states for unmet cybersecurity job demand.
The centerpiece is a three-year, $441,645 NSF award for the "CyberAI Innovation: AI-Enhanced Cyber Data Analytics Education" project, led by principal investigator Debasis Bhattacharya and co-investigator Thomas Blamey. The college has also secured a $129,190 supplement to host AI camps for middle and high school students, plus $89,537 for additional student camps in summer 2027.
New curriculum targets AI threats and ethics
The project introduces six new modules across six core computer science courses at UH Maui College. Topics include adversarial machine learning, AI-powered threat detection, secure AI pipelines, and CyberAI ethics.
"The intersection of AI, data analytics and cybersecurity is a critical frontier for modern digital defense," said Bhattacharya, who also directs the Center for Cybersecurity Education and Research. "With Hawaii facing such a steep challenge in meeting cybersecurity job demands, this grant enables us to build robust, early-career pipelines."
The curriculum extends beyond IT. Customized cyberAI micro-modules will serve fields such as healthcare and nursing, automotive technology, and accounting and finance.
Statewide training and K-14 pathways
A three-year professional development program will train faculty across all seven UH community colleges and Hawaii Department of Education secondary schools. The college will also draw on the community of practice created by the NSF Project CSP4Hawaii, a state-level collaboration aimed at improving computer science education, to expand K-14 academic pathways.
The summer camps, run in conjunction with the Hawaii Department of Education, will give middle and high school students instruction in AI literacy, safety, well-being, and "vibe coding" - software development that uses AI tools - along with guidance on responsible use. Two in-person camps will be held on Oahu, with one online camp, during summer 2027. Details are available at GenCyber Hawaii.
For educators and administrators, the funding signals a shift in how cybersecurity is taught: AI is no longer a separate topic but a layer embedded across disciplines. Professionals who train for roles in education, healthcare, or finance may soon encounter cyberAI concepts in their own fields. Those looking to build related skills can explore the AI Learning Path for Cybersecurity Analysts.
Why this matters for education professionals
Faculty and administrators in Hawaii's community college and secondary school systems will be directly affected by the training programs and curriculum changes over the next three years. The project also offers a model for other institutions facing regional workforce gaps: rather than launching standalone courses, it weaves AI and security literacy into existing programs across multiple career tracks. For educators elsewhere, the takeaway is practical - expect AI literacy requirements to appear in accreditation standards and job descriptions sooner than later, and plan for how to integrate them into courses that traditionally had no technology component. Resources like AI for Education can help with that planning.
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