HGTC Employees Nominated, Honored for Statewide Innovation Awards
Left to right: Ashley Wilkinson, Professor of Golf and Sports Turf Management; Brandon Haselden, Assistant Vice President/Dean; Charles Granger, Chair and Professor of Golf Course Management.
Horry-Georgetown Technical College (HGTC) is proud to announce the nominees and statewide winner for the A. Wade Martin Innovator of the Year Awards 2021. HGTC nominated Stan Greenawalt, Professor of Cybersecurity, to represent the College for the A. Wade Martin Innovator of the Year for his innovation to build a Cyber Security Operations Center and create an Ethical Hacking and Penetration classroom, the only one of its kind in the South Carolina Technical College System. HGTC also nominated Brandon Haselden, Assistant Vice President/Dean; Charles Granger, Chair and Professor of Golf Course Management; and Ashley Wilkinson, Professor of Golf and Sports Turf Management, to represent the College for the A. Wade Martin Innovation Team of the Year for the vision and innovation to complete the new Turf Care Demonstration Center on the Conway Campus.
The A. Wade Martin Innovator of the Year Awards are presented annually by the SC Technical College System Foundation at an Awards Ceremony held at the South Carolina Technical Education Association (SCTEA) Conference in February. The A. Wade Martin Award recognizes individuals in the technical college system who employ innovative approaches to meet the ever-changing needs in the technical education arena and whose achievements impact most positively in the system’s statewide efforts in economic development and the education of technical college students. A. Wade Martin was the executive director of South Carolina’s first technical and industrial training program.
HGTC is proud to announce that Professor Stan Greenawalt received the statewide award as the A. Wade Martin Innovator of the Year 2021.
A notable authority in the field of information systems, Internet and firewall security,
Professor Stanton Greenawalt has been a member of the HGTC Computer Technology faculty
since August 2015. He has brought a diverse background in academia, private sector
management, and military command to the classroom. His distinguished 25+-year U.S.
Navy career encompassed leadership positions as combat systems director, training
director, chief of staff and Commanding and Executive Officer for two squadrons and
the USS WASP Aircraft Carrier.
“Professor Greenawalt is highly regarded in cybersecurity for the work he has accomplished at HGTC in developing, configuring, and bringing online an advanced cybersecurity facility dedicated to learning at all levels. He has been interviewed by the broadcast news as well as being invited to present at conferences attended by all levels of expertise in the field of cybersecurity,” said Dr. Daniel Wysong, HGTC Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs/Dean.
Often cited by local media sources on the topic, Professor Greenawalt is the innovator of HGTC’s Cyber Security Certificate program initiated in 2016. To respond to the changing needs of our community, he has built significant partnerships between the College and public and private STEM employers including the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center (SPAWARSYSCEN) Atlantic to advance the program.
“Professor Greenawalt had a vision of taking our Cyber Security Certificate to the next level of a two-year degree. With that vision, he worked diligently and applied for a $750,000 ONR grant through the Navy and the department was awarded the grant to be used over three years to improve our program and acquire equipment for the program. Again, this has made our Cyber Security program top notch across the State of South Carolina and no other technical college system across the country has this type of Cyber Security program available,” said Lou Ann Timmons, HGTC Academic Chair/Professor of Information Technology.
From the success of his partnerships, Professor Greenawalt developed a new initiative called “Creating a Coastal Carolina Cyber Workforce Education and Awareness Pipeline for National Security” (C4WEAPNS) which has expanded efforts to recruit. It has also improved the processes to train residents who fill high growth STEM occupational shortages in our regional economy. This approach meets the challenge of addressing the computer science and cybersecurity need of our defense partners. C4WEAPNS is supported by a comprehensive partnership that leverages a talented team of faculty and staff, an established institutional outreach network, accessible facilities, extensive student recruitment and support resources, and an active curriculum advisory committee of employers including SPAWAR. The program involved the innovation of a new Associate Degree in Cybersecurity in the fall of 2019. The purpose of the program, developed by Professor Greenawalt, is to produce highly qualified graduates to enter in demand cybersecurity positions.
“Mr. Greenawalt has made significant contributions to the cyber workforce in the Grand Strand region of South Carolina and beyond through his accomplishments at Horry-Georgetown Technical College (HGTC). His innovative approach, to expand HGTC’s degree and certification programs in cybersecurity and computer forensics as well as adding a state-of-the-art instructional lab, has enabled the college to serve critical workforce needs affecting our national security,” Peter Reddy, Executive Director for the Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic.
Because of Professor Greenawalt’s tenacious efforts, HGTC received $750,000 in multi-year grant funding through the Office of Naval Research (ONR) substantiating an educational partnership with the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center (SPAWARSYSCEN) Atlantic. The grant and advanced cybersecurity degree program is not only inventing a pipeline to fill critical cybersecurity jobs at SPAWARSYSCEN, but also equipping HGTC with the state-of-the-art training technology and highest quality resources to meet cybersecurity and forensic training needs throughout the state of South Carolina. To support the security and isolation requirements for training with live viruses and forensic investigations, Professor Greenawalt also added a Server Room within the COC. Through the utilization of the Server Room, the department has modernized its “online” program and can support up to 600 students remotely. This includes the expansion of Virtual Private Network (VPN) capabilities so students can remotely access live equipment for training as well as enhanced virtual labs. The new program is genuinely unique to South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia.
“Since the start of his grant, Greenawalt and his team at Horry-Georgetown have worked diligently to establish a Security Operation Center and Cybersecurity Forensics Lab augmented by a new and expanded certificate and degree programs in Cybersecurity and Forensics. This lab gives students hands-on development and mastery of the knowledge, skills, and abilities required for positions in defense and industry including the Navy. His work has led to the establishment of strong relationships with the Navy through partnerships with the Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic (NIWC LANT). In addition, his program creates unique career opportunities for participating students through these partnerships and increases their readiness to enter the workforce,” said Michael Simpson, Director of Education and Workforce for the Office of Naval Research in Arlington, Virginia.
In addition to serving as a workforce pipeline for SPAWARSYSCEN and the existing technology sector in Horry and Georgetown Counties, the expanded degree program serves as the catalyst needed to make the Grand Strand a technology hub, particularly in the area of cybersecurity. From healthcare, to government contractors, to utility companies and beyond, an effectively trained cybersecurity workforce is essential for success in today’s world.
Prior to joining HGTC, Professor Greenawalt was on faculty at St. Johns River Community College in the roles of Director of Computer Science and Technology and CISCO Certified Academy Lead Instructor (for which he was awarded State College Professor of the Year). He completed his graduate work (M.A. in Computer Technology and Information Systems Management) from Webster University following his B.A. from Clemson University. He has also been recognized as both the Senior Naval Instructor of the Year and Teacher of the Year by the Naval Education and Training Command.