Cyber Education and Research Center hosts Tech Mania 2025 for regional high school students

MURRAY, Ky. – On March 6, Murray State University’s Cyber Education and Research Center and the Office of the President hosted more than 160 students from nine different high schools across west Kentucky and northwest Tennessee for Tech Mania 2025, with the aim of encouraging students to pursue careers in cybersecurity and network management (CNM).

“Tech Mania provides high school students with the opportunity to engage in team-based competitions centered around cybersecurity and networking equipment,” stated Dr. Michael Ramage, director of the Murray State Cyber Center. “Tech Mania aims to inspire students to pursue careers in technology, networking and cybersecurity.”

Participants were organized into groups of two or three based on their skill levels and tasked with completing several activities related to building and securing a network. Teams competed in five distinct activities to earn points. The challenges included creating Category 5 patch cables to connect computers, searching for rogue wireless access points, decoding ciphertext messages and converting them to plaintext, analyzing network packets to understand network traffic and forensically reviewing a digital image on a phone to address investigative questions.

"My experience at Tech Mania in 2023 inspired me to pursue a degree in Cybersecurity and Network Management at Murray State University. This decision has opened up numerous new opportunities and incredible learning experiences," said Chelsea (Emery) Vickery, a current student at Murray State. "Participating in Tech Mania helped me gain a better understanding of cybersecurity and allowed me to connect with future professors. This familiarity with both the classes and the faculty prepared me for my bachelor's program at Murray State University."

The two winning teams received scholarships to attend Murray State University’s Cybersecurity and Network Management program, with many other students receiving door prizes throughout the day.

Tech Mania 2025 winners included:

- William Edwards, Henry County High School

- Nicholas Hayes, McCracken County High School

- Gabriel Jolin, Gateway Academy

- Keegan Quick, Trigg County High School

- Jacob Burnett, Trigg County High School

- Nathan Gibbs, Trigg County High School

Since its launch in 2018, Tech Mania has provided collaborative learning experiences for high school and middle school students from various regions from Ballard County, Kentucky, to Henry County, Tennessee, and all regions in between. Schools participating in Tech Mania 2025 included Caldwell County Area Technology Center, Gateway Academy, Graves County High School, Henry County High School, Hopkins County Career and Technology Center, Mayfield-Graves County Area Technology Center, Marshall County High School, McCracken County High School and Trigg County High School.

In 1997, Kentucky House Bill 1 created Programs of Distinction through the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education at public postsecondary institutions, including Murray State University’s cybersecurity program. Murray State offers a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity and network management, along with an accelerated master’s degree—available online—in cybersecurity management that can be completed in 12-18 months and certificates at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. 

Murray State’s Cyber Education and Research Center provides education, research, development and outreach support for the University’s cyber-related programs.

In 2019, Murray State was designated a Center for Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CD) by the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security. The program is recognized as a Center for Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD), certified through the Quality Assurance Commons with the Essential Employability Qualities Certification and has won multiple national awards over the years through ITERA including Program of the Year. 

Learn more about Murray State’s CNM program at murraystate.edu/cyber.