UTSA Names Frederick Chang AT&T Distinguished Chair in Infrastructure Assurance and Security

SAN ANTONIO, June 29 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) announced today the appointment of Frederick Chang, as the inaugural AT&T Distinguished Chair in Infrastructure Assurance and Security in the UTSA College of Business. Chang joins UTSA from UT-Austin where he currently serves as the associate dean of information technology for the College of Natural Sciences and as director of the Center for Information Assurance and Security.  Chang will assume his role Aug. 18.

Recognized as a leading expert in cybersecurity, Chang's 30-year technology career included positions as director of research at the National Security Agency and president of technology strategy for SBC Communications.  Chang is a member of the Commission on Cyber Security for the 44th Presidency, and he is a former member of the Computer Science and Telecommunications Board of the National Academies.

"The appointment of Dr. Fred Chang solidifies the college's information assurance and security program as one of the premier information security programs in the country," said College of Business Dean Lynda de la Vina.  "His broad expertise and leadership in information assurance and cybersecurity will elevate the college's research efforts and stimulate research activity."

Chang will also serve as director of the information assurance security program and professor in the Department of Information Systems and Technology Management in the College of Business. He is charged with leading the college's information assurance program, managing research labs and developing strategic partnerships locally, regionally and nationally.

Chang received his bachelor's degree from the University of California, San Diego and his master's and Ph.D. from the University of Oregon.

The $1 million AT&T Distinguished Chair was spearheaded by former AT&T Senior Executive Vice President and College of Business Advisory Council Chair Jim Kahan. AT&T was instrumental in helping to secure funding from various regional and national sources and was also a principal donor.  Additional start-up funding was provided by Richard T. and Katharine Schlosberg and Graham Weston, executive chairman of Rackspace.

As UTSA strives for tier-one status, Chang's appointment will elevate that bid with his successful track record in receiving and managing grant funding. He currently manages a multi-million dollar research unit which has held contracts with Raytheon Company, Lockheed Martin Corporation and Progeny Systems.  He will also contribute to the university's area of excellence in security.  

The information assurance and security program at UTSA was recently designated a Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Research by the National Security Agency. Only 40 programs in the nation have achieved the research designation. UTSA has also been designated a Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education since 2002.

Nationally ranked and recognized, the UTSA College of Business is one of the 40 largest business schools in the nation with 5,600 enrolled students and 37 different graduate and undergraduate business programs.  The college is dedicated to raising its academic profile to become one of the best business schools recognized for developing "Knowledge for a New World."  For more information, visit http://business.utsa.edu.

SOURCE University of Texas at San Antonio College of Business