Through a generous donation from the Kuehne family, students from Liberty Christian School were invited to attend the University of North Texas’ Kuehne Speaker Series on National Security at the Hyatt Regency in Dallas.
Eighteen students from middle and upper school and two teachers attended the event.
The group from Liberty heard General Keith B. Alexander, the longest-serving director of the National Security Agency and chief of the Central Security Service and USCYBERCOM, who spoke on the topic, “A Road Map to Freedom: The Strategy of Effective Cyber Security.” He was introduced by Dr. Neal Smatresk, the president of the University of North Texas.
Two seniors who attended the event, Tiffany Lu and Ellee New, summarized the event:
General Alexander articulated the importance of defendable cyber infrastructure in the military, economy, and government. He also emphasized the imperativeness for the private sector to assume its portion of responsibility for protecting the infrastructure that connects to the Internet.
General Alexander drew upon his experiences in the military and as the director of the NSA to create a road map to face the strategic challenges of the next several decades posed by the rapidly expanding cyber sector. His plan highlighted the training of students in cyber sciences to harness future technology to solve emerging international problems.
General Alexander followed with suggestions for changes in our nation’s cyber command, such as the development of defensible architecture and modifications in cyber legislation.
Liberty is especially grateful for the remarkable generosity of the Kuehne family in providing its students with the opportunity to participate in such a unique and influential event.
About the UNT Kuehne Speaker Series on National Security and Ernie Kuehne –
The UNT Kuehne Speaker Series on National Security capitalizes on UNT’s nationally and internationally recognized programs and the faculty who are engaged in these issues.
Ernie Kuehne came to UNT on a track scholarship in 1962, and earned a bachelor’s degree in political science in 1966. He received his law degree from Baylor University in 1969. He is current president and board chairman of Kuehne Oil Co. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas, the UNT McConnell Society, and the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity Alumni Advisory Board. He is a lifetime member of the UNT Alumni Association and UNT Ex-Letterman’s Association. In April 2014, Ernie was named a UNT Distinguished Alumnus, the highest honor bestowed during the annual UNT Alumni Awards ceremony.
Vivian Nichols handles community relations for Liberty Christian School.