Cyber-PARK Project Selected for NCInnovation Funding
Photo: MichaelSpencer/UNCW
UNC Wilmington Associate Professor Ellie Ebrahimi, Department of Computer Science, and her educational cybersecurity initiative, Cyber-PARK, were among 13 research efforts across the UNC System approved for NCInnovation grant funding in its latest cycle.
"UNCW is proud to see Dr. Ebrahimi's Cyber-PARK initiative recognized through NCInnovation. This project demonstrates how UNCW researchers are addressing critical challenges facing families and schools today," said Chancellor Aswani Volety. "By equipping young learners with essential cybersecurity skills, this project contributes to safer digital communities across North Carolina and beyond."
Cyber-PARK, or Cybersecurity Practice and Awareness for Rising Kids, is a browser-based platform designed to introduce elementary school students to foundational concepts in online safety and digital security. Utilizing gamified learning methods and interactive modules, it combines problem-solving and critical thinking with real-world cybersecurity lessons in a fun, immersive and age-appropriate format.
"Amid a national conversation on youth and technology, Dr. Ebrahimi's cyber safety research couldn't be timelier," said Michelle Bolas, NCInnovation's interim CEO. "NCInnovation helps universities advance research with just this kind of real-world application, strengthening the university-to-industry pipeline that's central to American competitiveness."
NCInnovation helps university innovations advance towards commercialization by supporting applied research through the critical research and development (R&D) phase between proof of concept and readiness for the private market. The grant funding is part of NCInnovation's larger effort to support thr development and commercialization of university research in North Carolina.
NCInnovation awarded a total of $10 million to projects from 11 UNC System institutions in this latest grant cycle. Ebrahimi and her team are the third consecutive UNCW research project to receive NCInnovation funding, following the Neck Strength Assessment Tool last spring by School of Health and Applied Human Sciences Associate Professors Lindsey Schroeder and Alex McDaniel, and the groundbreaking flu vaccine platform in 2024 by Associate Professor Ying Wang, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.
"UNCW values its strong partnership with NCInnovation, which is helping our university innovators turn ideas into solutions that benefit North Carolina and beyond," said Associate Provost Stuart Borrett for Research and Innovation. "The Cyber-PARK project exemplifies this impact — bringing together innovators from computer science and education to create tools that enahce learning and well-being for younger students. Together, we're building solutions that strengthen learning and well-being for students across North Carolina."
Ebrahimi's team includes co-principal investigators Daisyane Barreto, assistant professor in the Department of Instructional Technology, Foundations and Secondary Education, as well as Yasin Emre (Leo) Gokce, lecturer, and Geoff Stoker, associate professor, from the Congdon School of Supply Chain, Business Analytics and Information Systems.
"At UNCW, we are committed to teaching and research that addresses pressing societal needs," said Interim Provost Robert T. Burrus, who oversees the Division of Academic Affairs. "Cyber-PARK's innovative platform solution with positive impacts on our youngest generations represents the transformative power of UNCW research, and the breadth of impact on our communities. We are thrilled for Dr. Ebrahimi and the research team."
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