The Maryland Department of Commerce, Morgan State University and Washington College have endowed $4 million in two new research professorships. The endowments were made through the Maryland E-Nnovation Initiative (MEI), a program created in 2014 to spur basic and applied research in scientific and technical fields at the state's colleges and universities.

The Morgan State chairthe first endowed chair at the universitywill focus on cybersecurity while the post at Washington College will create entrepreneurial science programs. The schools raised $1 million in private funding for each chair and Commerce approved two matching grants of $1 million to support the endowments.

"Morgan State University and Washington College are economic drivers for Baltimore City, the Eastern Shore and the entire State of Maryland," Commerce Secretary Mike Gill said. "The research they conduct and the bright young minds they nurture fuel Maryland's economy and keep our state on the cutting edge of technology and discovery. We are proud to partner with both institutions and look forward to seeing the fruits of both new professorships for years to come."

The new chairs are:
Morgan State University
The Endowed Chair in Internet of Things Security
The professor will apply secure embedded systems design research in an Internet of Things testbed to tackle security challenges in smart grid and home automation.

Washington College
Andelot Endowment Fund for the Center of Environment and Society
The endowment, which was created with a $1 million gift from Louisa Copeland Duemling, creates a new Chief of Entrepreneurial Science position in the school's Center for Environment & Society. The position will develop entrepreneurial science programs focused on environmental problem solving and the commercialization of tools for use in the field.

Learn more.