For immediate release: Jan. 25, 2010

BLOOMSBURG — A $90,000 workforce leadership grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development is enabling Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania to expand its computer forensics 2+2+2 program to another institution.

Tom Fletcher, director of Corporate and Continuing Education, said SUN Area Technical Institute in New Berlin is the computer forensics program's newest partner. The program allows a seamless transfer of credits from secondary schools to Luzerne County Community College's two-year cyber security management program and to BU for the final two years required for a bachelor’s degree.

Secondary students in the program may earn 15 credits that will transfer to the college level. Other secondary school partners in computer forensics 2+2+2 are Columbia-Montour Area Vocational Technical School, Northumberland County Career and Technical Center and the North Schuylkill School District, Fletcher added.

BU's Bachelor of Science in Computer Forensics program prepares students for careers extracting and analyzing information from computers, cell phones and similar devices involved in criminal activity. As computer forensics specialists, they may be employed with law enforcement, homeland security agencies, law firms or private companies. BU offers the only computer forensics degree in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.

For information on the program, contact Scott Inch, professor of mathematics, computer science and statistics, by e-mail or (570) 389-4509.

Bloomsburg University is one of 14 universities in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. The university serves approximately 9,000 students, offering comprehensive programs of study in the colleges of Education, Business, Liberal Arts and Science and Technology.