Collin College Cybersecurity Program Honored with 2025 Academic Awards from EC-Council
December 23, 2025
Cougar News
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The Collin College Cybersecurity program was recently announced as a 2025 recipient of the Academia Circle of Excellence award by EC-Council.
As an internationally acclaimed cybersecurity technical certification body, EC-Council
annually honors outstanding achievements in cybersecurity training and education across
global academic communities.
“We are honored to once again be recognized by EC-Council,” said Damien Smith, director of Workforce Cybersecurity at Collin College. “The esteemed Academia Circle of Excellence award is a testament to our dedication to cybersecurity education and supporting the next generation of leaders in the field. We are committed to a high standard of excellence and are delighted to see that our passion and efforts are being recognized on an international stage.”
EC-Council’s Academia division recognizes institutions and educators who demonstrate excellence in cybersecurity instruction, leadership, and engagement. Collin College is one of five institutions in EC-Council’s North America academic division to receive this highly regarded award.
“We are honored to once again be recognized by EC-Council,” said Damien Smith, director of Workforce Cybersecurity at Collin College. “The esteemed Academia Circle of Excellence award is a testament to our dedication to cybersecurity education and supporting the next generation of leaders in the field. We are committed to a high standard of excellence and are delighted to see that our passion and efforts are being recognized on an international stage.”
EC-Council’s Academia division recognizes institutions and educators who demonstrate excellence in cybersecurity instruction, leadership, and engagement. Collin College is one of five institutions in EC-Council’s North America academic division to receive this highly regarded award.
Cybersecurity Professor Glenn Kimball was named a recipient of the 2025 Academia Instructor
Circle of Excellence award. This prestigious honor recognizes Kimball’s outstanding
contributions to cybersecurity education and the positive impact made on students
and the academic community.
“I’m humbled and honored to be selected to receive the EC-Council 2025 Academic Instructor Circle
of Excellence Award,” Kimball said. “Inspiring students to elevate their knowledge
and skills to address the complexities and challenges in cybersecurity is core to
my teaching mission. This award validates that our core approach, collaborative partnerships, and dedication
to student outcomes and advancement is on target. I am grateful to have a partner
like EC-Council to advance the cybersecurity cause.”
Awards issued by EC-Council are highly regarded and widely recognized across cybersecurity
communities as EC-Council has an extensive network of academic partners from K-12,
technical institutes, and colleges and universities around the world. Collin College
has been a frequent award recipient of EC-Council, previously honored with distinctions
such as Innovator of the Year and the Instructor of the Year.
For more information about Collin College’s Cybersecurity program, visit www.collin.edu/department/cybersecurity.
Collin College serves approximately 60,000 credit and continuing education students
annually and offers more than 200 degrees and certificates, including a Bachelor of
Science in Nursing (BSN), a Bachelor of Applied Technology (BAT) in Cybersecurity,
a Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) in Construction Management, a Bachelor of Applied
Science (BAS) in Clinical Operations Management, and a new Bachelor of Applied Technology
(BAT) in Software Development. The only public college based in Collin County, Collin
College is a partner to business, government, and industry, providing customized training
and workforce development. For more information, visit www.collin.edu.
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Photo by Nick Young, staff photographer
Caption: Collin College's Cybersecurity program received the esteemed “Academia Circle of
Excellence” and “Academic Instructor Circle of Excellence” awards by the EC-Council.
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