Dr. Jordan Shropshire named inaugural Lawrence Minto Sylvestre Endowed Chair of Computing.

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Posted on October 11, 2023 by Keith Lynn

Keith Lynn

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The University of South Alabama (USA) School of Computing (SoC) has named Dr. Jordan Shropshire the inaugural Lawrence Minto Sylvestre Endowed Chair of Computing, effective October 1, 2023.

Dr. Shropshire joined the SoC faculty in 2014. His research areas include Information Security, Data Center Management, Systems Architecture, Cloud Computing, and Emerging Ecosystems. He combines artificial intelligence with data fusion to ensure the security of cyber-physical systems, data centers, and cloud computing systems. Dr. Shropshire is a sought-after partner by Fortune 500 companies, including Leidos, Cisco, Raytheon, Dynetics, and Red Hat, as well as defense contractors across the US Army, Navy, and Air Force.

“In a hyperconnected world where technology dominates our daily lives, the threat of cyber-attacks is more significant than ever. Our most critical infrastructure, including banking, healthcare, communications, utilities, and national defense systems, is a prime target for cybercriminals. To help defend these critical systems and increase their resilience, I develop innovative solutions to ever-emerging challenges in cybersecurity,” said Dr. Shropshire.

Over his career, Shropshire has received over $2 million in external research funds from defense clients, businesses, and public sector organizations such as the National Science Foundation. He received the SoC Award for Outstanding Research in 2018 and the SoC Excellence in Teacher Award in 2020.

“Dr. Shropshire is an outstanding researcher and scholar with more than 20 published journal articles and 50 referred papers published in conference proceedings. He is also a gifted teacher who devotes time and resources to his students. His selection as the endowed chair is a testament to his commitment to the School.” said Dr. Todd Andel, Dean of the School of Computing.

The Lawrence Minto Sylvestre Endowed Chair of Computing, given in memory of Lawrence Minto Sylvestre by his sister, the late Dr. Jeanne Sylvestre, is the first-ever endowed chair at the School of Computing. Lawrence Minto Sylvestre graduated from Tulane University and served as a systems engineer and executive at IBM for twenty-six years. As an expert in his field, he worked closely with the School of Computing. Lawrence’s sister, Dr. Jeanne Sylvestre, earned her Bachelor’s degree and MBA in accounting from USA and her Ph.D. in accounting from the University of Georgia. Dr. Sylvestre was an outstanding and transformational professor at the Mitchell College of Business for over 30 years and was the first USA graduate to return to teach. She had strong ties to the School of Computing serving on many thesis committees and tenure and promotion committees.

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