Congratulations, students who made it on the President’s List at PTCC for fall semester! #proudpine

The President’s List honors students who enrolled in 12 credits or more, and received a grade point average of 4.0.

The Pine Technical and Community College (PTCC) Cyber Defense team traveled to Illinois over the weekend to compete in the Midwest Regional Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (MWCCDC) taking 5th place!

After placing first in Minnesota amongst other two-year and four-year colleges, PTCC was the only 2-year college that made it to the Midwest Competition and the only college to represent the state of Minnesota. Other colleges that competed include: Baker College, Cedarville University, DePaul University, Drury University, Illinois Institute of Technology, Indiana Tech, Southeast Missouri State University, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, University of Louisville, and University of Wisconsin-Stout.

MWCCDC brought together top tech-savvy students to form teams and compete in a high-stakes challenge. These teams constructed and protected mock production business infrastructure against professional “hackers” tasked with the mission of disrupting their production systems and breaching their security. While these determined teams defended against these relentless attackers, the competition’s judging staff introduced network enhancement and upgrade challenges, assessing the teams’ performance, scoring their efforts, and providing essential support throughout the event.

“I can’t express how proud I am of this 2024 Cyber Team. They put in many hours of practice and research and came together to make this experience one that I’m sure they will never forget. PTCC was the only two-year college at the MWCCDC and placed 5^th overall. It says something about the dedication of these students that they can compete with four- and six-year colleges and beat most of them” – Chris Morgan, Cyber Security Instructor

Congratulations to the team for putting PTCC and Pine City on the map!

To learn more about the Cyber Security program at PTCC, visit https://pine.edu/academics/programs-courses/cyber-security/

Minnesota State IT Center of Excellence (MN STATE IT COE), one of eight Minnesota State Centers of Excellence, provides high school and college students with various resources and programs to support the ever-changing world of Information Technology and Computer Science. The Center has contributed significantly by reaching out to thousands of secondary students, funding dozens of new curriculum efforts, and leading numerous other efforts to increase the quality and quantity of IT talent in the state.

One of the annually sponsored and organized events is the Minnesota State Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (CCDC). Winners of the Minnesota CCDC advance to Regional CCDC (https://www.cssia.org/mwccdc/) hosted by Moraine Valley Community College in Illinois with a chance to compete at the National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition At Texas San Antonio, Texas, in April 2024. (https://www.nationalccdc.org/index.php)

Over 80 students from 8 different Minnesota State System institutions joined this year for a full day of competition and learning. Along with students, faculty and industry members participated as advisors, sponsors, and Red Team (Ethical Hackers/Penetration Experts).

In a controlled virtual environment, CCDC competitors assume administrative and protective duties for an existing “commercial” network – typically a small company with 50+ users, 7 to 10 servers, and standard Internet services such as a web server, mail server, and e-commerce site. Each team begins the competition with an identical set of hardware and software and is scored on their ability to detect and respond to outside threats, maintain the availability of existing services such as mail servers and web servers, respond to business requests such as the addition or removal of additional services, and balance security needs against business needs.

Throughout the competition, an automated scoring engine periodically verifies each team’s services’ functionality and availability, and traffic generators feed simulated user traffic into the competition network. A volunteer Red Team (Ethical Hackers) provides the “external threat” of all Internet-based services, which allows the teams to match their defensive skills against live opponents (hackers).

WINNERS
The competition was tight this year, with the top four (4) teams within 2,000 points (out of 42,000).
1st Place – Pine Technical and Community College, Pine City, MN
2nd Place – Alex Technical and Community College, Alexandria, MN
3rd Place – Hennepin Technical College, Brooklyn Park, MN
4th Place – MCTC, Minneapolis College, Minneapolis, MN

Other Participating Teams: Metropolitan State University, St. Paul, MN; Minnesota State Community and Technical College with MN State U, Moorhead, Moorhead, MN; Minnesota State University, Mankato; and St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, MN.
Pine Tech will automatically move on to the Regional CCDC on March 15-16, 2024, and 2nd and 3rd Place Teams – Alex Tech and Hennepin Technical College will complete in the Midwest Wildcard on February 24th, 2024, for an additional chance to move on to the Regional as well.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Janice Aanenson, PhD
MN State IT COE Executive Director and CCDC State Director
Minnesota State IT Center of Excellence
612.659.7226
Janice.aanenson@metrostate.edu

Target Corporation has made a generous donation of over $500,000 worth of furniture to Pine Technical and Community College (PTCC) to enhance the experience for their students at the developing Lakeside Student Housing project.

PTCC staff had the opportunity to visit one of Target’s former office towers in Minneapolis, where workers have mostly gone remote following the COVID-19 pandemic and selected needed furniture from several floors. The donation includes a range of essential items such as desks and storage for each student, soft seating, booths, tables, chairs, televisions, whiteboards, benches, and more. These furnishings aim to enhance spaces for relaxation, study, and daily living for students.

“Target Corporation’s donation is the single largest donation in the PTCC Foundation’s history. “The gift allows the college to enhance the student experience with high quality and functional furniture and allows PTCC students to study and socialize in the same furniture that corporate professionals use.” says PTCC President Joe Mulford.

“We are grateful to Target Corporation for this historic donation to both PTCC and the East Central Minnesota region. This donation directly benefits students and will allow the college to focus resources on other student needs.”

The Lakeside Student Housing project has seen remarkable progress and the former nursing home has undergone a significant transformation. Many areas would be unrecognizable to former residents and staff. Although the exact date for occupancy is still not finalized, the facility continues to develop.

Also, in progress is the conversion of the former clinic on the east side of main housing building, which will become both a daycare and student recreation space for all students – including those who do not rent from Lakeside. PTCC is working with an architect to develop final plans for renovating this space.

Top tech-savvy students from two-year and four-year colleges and universities are coming together to form teams and compete in a high-stakes challenge. These teams will construct and protect mock production business infrastructure against professional “hackers” tasked with the mission of disrupting their production systems and breaching their security. While these determined teams defend against these relentless attackers, the competition’s judging staff will introduce network enhancement and upgrade challenges, assessing the teams’ performance, scoring their efforts, and providing essential support throughout the event.

Excitement is sweeping through Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Missouri, and Wisconsin as applications pour in for the MWCCDC competition. These competitions offer invaluable experiences for students to bolster their career development, with no prior competition experience required.

Stacy Bruch, a local student in Cyber Security and Network Administration at Pine Technical and Community College (PTCC), has achieved recognition by securing a position in the top ten of Palo Alto’s ‘Secure the Future’ competition. Palo Alto, a prominent leader in the cyber security industry, organized this competition to challenge 298 college students, representing community colleges, four-year institutions, universities, and Ivy League schools. The competition aimed to address cyber threats targeting vulnerable industries, including energy, transportation, finance, healthcare, and education.

Beginning on October 14, participants embarked on a guided, self-paced academic journey, immersing themselves in advanced cybersecurity technologies and defense methods. Stacy Bruch presented a compelling analysis focusing on fortifying the energy sector against cyber threats. Her presentation focused on strategies addressing sector vulnerabilities, the utilization of artificial intelligence and machine learning, and the importance of intelligence sharing in enhancing cybersecurity.

The competition brought the top 10 finalists, including Stacy, to present their research to a panel of Palo Alto Networks experts at the company’s headquarters in Santa Clara, California. This invaluable opportunity not only showcased Stacy’s expertise but also positioned her and her peers for potential job interviews, both for full-time positions and internships at Palo Alto Networks.

The final level of the competition demonstrated the high caliber of talent among the top 10 finalists, as all participants were within 20 points of each other, underscoring the competitive nature and proficiency demonstrated by Stacy Bruch and her fellow competitors.

“Stacy is a dedicated parent and student that continuously challenges herself in the world of Cyber Security. She is a triple major in Cyber, Networking and Liberal Arts. She has taken on a great challenge and landed in the top 10 worldwide for her Palo Alto and Cyber research. We could not be prouder of her great accomplishment, and I know there will be even more in her future.” – Chris Morgan, Cyber Security and Networking Instructor.

Stacy volunteers with Master Gardeners U of M Extension in Pine County, and she is a Girl Scouts River Valleys Juliette leader and volunteer. She is part of Phi Theta Kappa, art club, and the Cyber Defense team at PTCC. In the future, she hopes to launch a non-profit dedicated to empowering youth through leadership development.

St. Paul, Minn., June 21, 2023 – The Board of Trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities today approved the annual operating budget for FY2024 that includes a freeze in undergraduate tuition at FY2023 levels, which averaged $8,685 at the system’s universities and $5,471 at its colleges. The move was made possible by funding approved by the legislature and Governor Walz in their higher education funding bill for the 2024 – 2025 biennium.

“We have deep appreciation for the leadership that Chair Gene Pelowski, Chair Omar Fateh, committee members, and Governor Walz showed in making this tuition freeze possible with their historic investment in higher education,” said Devinder Malhotra, chancellor of Minnesota State. “The funding positions the colleges and universities of Minnesota State to respond to the critical needs of students, promotes equitable student success, and will help provide Minnesota the talent and workforce it needs.”

The funding that made the tuition freeze possible was one outcome of the 2023 legislative session that featured a $292.9 million investment in the colleges and universities of Minnesota State. The legislation provides funding to freeze tuition rates for undergraduate degree-granting programs for the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 academic years at 2022-2023 academic year rates.

In addition to the tuition freeze, other key provisions of the final bill that enhances higher education affordability and accessibility included funding for:

• The “North Star Promise” – a scholarship program that provides access to public higher education without tuition cost for students from families with annual incomes of less than $80,000. The program will become available FY2025.
• Student support initiatives that will help campuses address basic needs insecurity, mental health, and other high-need student support services.
• Developing and expanding industry sector programming to build capacity and support new and redesigned curricular options with an emphasis on offering students work-based learning experiences. State funds will be matched with cash or in-kind contributions from non-state sources.
• Improving college and university equipment and learning environments – state funds will be matched with cash or in-kind contributions from non-state sources.
• Expanding offerings in free course materials and resources, including through open educational resources, open textbooks, and implementation of “Z-Degrees” (complete associate or bachelor’s degree programs that exclusively use course resources that are available at no cost to students).
• Continuing the highly successful Workforce Development Scholarship program that encourages students to enter programs in high demand by employers.

The colleges and universities of Minnesota State have long offered students the lowest tuition and fees in the state, providing students an outstanding education value and the ability to limit or avoid debt.

Media Contact:
Doug Anderson
Minnesota State
Director, Communications and Media
Office: (651) 201-1426
doug.anderson@minnstate.edu

PTCC celebrates manufacturing throughout the year, and October is Manufacturing Month in Minnesota! The demand for jobs in this career field remains high, and PTCC offers a variety of programs to prepare students for a successful career in these areas.

Explore Manufacturing Programs at PTCC

• Applied Engineering Technology
• Automated Systems Technology
• Automotive Technology
• Construction Technology
• Gunsmithing and Firearms Technology
• Precision Machining Technology
• Welding Technology

Statewide Manufacturing Tours

During October’s Manufacturing Month, manufacturers across the state open their doors to students, parents, and the general public, helping to inspire and recruit the next generation of manufacturing talent.

Tour a Manufacturer:

• Attend an in-person or virtual tour
• Learn about manufacturing careers
• Discover products made by manufacturers
• See what manufacturing offers today
• Experience the latest technologies

Learn more: https://www.statewidetour.mnmfg.org/

Beginning in Fall 2024, the North Star Promise (NSP) Scholarship program will create a tuition and fee-free pathway to higher education for eligible Minnesota Residents at eligible institutions.  The NSP scholarship is considered a “last-dollar” program by covering the balance of tuition and fees remaining after other scholarships, grants, stipends, and tuition waivers have been applied.

By making college accessible and affordable, NSP is intended to have a positive impact on multiple fronts:

• Help stabilize enrollment at Minnesota public institutions of higher education;
• Serve as an economic driver for Minnesota by educating qualified workers who are much needed to fill vacancies in the state’s labor force;
• Create a viable higher education path for Minnesota residents who may have previously thought education was not a possibility for them.

We estimate this program will impact 15,000-20,000 students in the first academic year.

Eligible students must:

• Be a Minnesota resident
• Have a family Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) below $80,000 (FAFSA or MN Dream Act application)
• Attend a Minnesota public higher education institution or Tribal College
• Not be in default on a state or federal student loan
• Meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards
• Have not already earned a baccalaureate degree
• Be enrolled in a program or course of study that applies to a degree, diploma, or certificate

Learn more

**This information was originally published in the Minnesota Office of Higher Education Monthly News Update for June 2023. 

Pine Technical and Community College has received notice that they will be the recipients of $21.4 million in funding toward a technical and trades lab addition and renovation as part of this session’s $2.6 billion bonding bill. Across the Minnesota State College system, colleges are receiving a total of $181 million.

The technical and trades lab addition and renovation will renovate 15,025 sq. feet and construct 25,000 sq. feet in the high demand programs such as healthcare, manufacturing and automotive technology. This project and planning began when PTCC received $635,000 in planning money from the legislature in 2020. The project is scheduled to begin next spring and progress the next 18 months.

College president, Joe Mulford, said that this is the single largest investment in career technical education in the region’s history. “Our area legislators were key to getting this finally funded,” he added. “Representative Nelson and Senator Rarick were unwavering in their support of building more career technical education opportunities in our region.”

Senator Jason Rarick said of the recent development, “This is such an important project for the area, and this expansion will give Pine Tech the room needed to train our future workforce in these much needed fields. I am so happy we have finally secured the funding to get this project going.”

What made the college a strong contender for the funding was that they are one of the few colleges in the state that has had positive enrollment numbers and are the only career and technical education college in the region. “This made us noticeable to our legislators,” said college media relations director, Katie Koppy.

This modernization and expansion project will create a more sustainable, comfortable and technologically advanced learning environment for current and future students, Koppy added. This project aids the college’s long-term growth strategy of serving and training more than 4,000 students a year. This project will improve access to critical workforce skills for east central Minnesota residents and students, while faculty and staff are able to strengthen the support offered to students through improved educational programs and services.