DSU celebrates opening of Madison Cyber Labs

Cyber research is underway in a new facility on the campus of Dakota State University in Madison.  A grand opening for the Madison Cyber Labs, called MadLabs, was held Wednesday evening at the building located on the southwest corner of campus at the intersection of Egan Avenue and Northeast 6th Street. The grand opening was held in conjunction with the Board of Regents’ meeting being held at the university.

MadLabs was funded through donations from 1981 DSU alum Miles Beacom and his wife, Lisa, along with T. Denny Sanford.  Tony Nour with First Premier Bank delivered a message from Miles Beacom, who couldn’t be at Wednesday’s grand opening.

Former Governor Dennis Daugaard was also involved in working on and supporting the proposal for the MadLabs facility and helped in getting additional funding from the state toward the project.  He said that there are many people, including the Beacoms and Sanford, along with the leadership of DSU President Dr. José-Marie Griffiths and others, who helped bring the project to reality.

U.S. Senator Mike Rounds, the state Board of Regents, and state Legislature also provided support for the new facility.

Congressman Dusty Johnson said Wednesday that the greatest threat to America currently is cyber threats, and he said that the work that will be done within DSU’s MadLabs facility is important to the nation as a whole.

The more than 37-thousand square foot MadLabs building will house institutes and labs which will conduct applied cyber research and development in a variety of areas.  Faculty, undergraduate and graduate students, and staff from all four of DSU’s Colleges will work in the building, along with partners from private and public sectors. DSU President Griffiths thanked everyone involved in making the new DSU CyberLabs possible, but especially the faculty.

MadLabs consists of two portions, including a glass-fronted area which will house various research and development projects.  The second portion of the building houses the Cyclops Lab, a secure environment for DSU faculty, students, and researchers to conduct research and development for public and private partners.