Dear USF community:
I am pleased to share some exciting news with you about the creation of a new Global and National Security Institute at the University of South Florida. This important initiative is designed to further place our faculty expertise at the forefront of helping the state of Florida address critical issues facing the nation in sectors such as defense, economic and political security, health and human security and infrastructure and environmental security.
The Global and National Security Institute will be led by executive director Kenneth F. “Frank” McKenzie Jr., retired general and former chief of U.S. Central Command, who brings extensive leadership skills and a decades-long military and international security background to the position.
The institute aligns well with USF’s new strategic plan, including our goals of creating high-impact partnerships to build a prosperous future for our communities, and helping solve global problems through faculty excellence in research.
As part of his new role, Gen. McKenzie will also take over the leadership of Cyber Florida from Vice Admiral Mike McConnell, who has served as executive director since 2020. Mike has shared with me his plans to retire at the end of June. We sincerely thank him for his important contributions to Cyber Florida, which also included serving as chair of its Board of Advisors. I am excited about the opportunities for Cyber Florida to build on its successful work to strengthen the state’s cybersecurity industry.
I encourage you to read more about the new Global and National Security Institute and Gen. McKenzie in our news story that will be shared with the media later today.
Sincerely,
Rhea F. Law
President