Lecturer and Director of Undergraduate Technology and Science Programs
Ron Danault’s passion for education began as an undergraduate student at the college. While earning his bachelor’s degree here, he found the faculty so inspiring that he decided to become an educator himself. He went on to earn his M.Ed. in Computer Science and later served as an adjunct faculty here and at other New Hampshire colleges. Now that passion has come full circle in his new leadership role as our Director of Undergraduate Technology and Science Programs.
Military Service and IT Industry Experience
Ron first became involved in the Information Technology industry when he served in Army National Guard’s 2nd Battalion, 197th Field Artillery regiment, maintaining and repairing communications equipment.
Initially, his team worked on portable radios that had only one frequency, which could be jammed by the enemies. By the mid-to-late ‘90s, the technology had improved, with new frequency-hopping radios. Ron said working with this technology helped to solidify his passion for IT.
During the week, Ron worked as General Manager of a manufacturing business for 25 years, developing its computer communications systems.
We’re talking late ‘90s. Up until then, we were using paper technology, so this was a big advancement.
A Passion for IT Education
After decades in the business world, Ron pursued his passion for IT education. He taught at White Mountains Regional High School in Whitefield for 15 years while at different times serving as an adjunct faculty member at the UNH College of Professional Studies, New England College, and White Mountains Community College.
He said educating the Information Technology workforce is particularly exciting because the industry changes so quickly.
To me, the biggest attraction of Information Technology is how fast it’s progressing. It just progresses exponentially. There’s always more to learn, and new trends to keep on top of.
Before jumping into his new role, Ron spent much of the summer working on updating UNH CPS’s Technology course material and introducing new courses, including Programming with Python and Mobile Application Development.
New Course: Foundations of Cybersecurity
Ron developed a new course he is especially excited about, Foundations of Cybersecurity. Students in Foundations of Cybersecurity not only learn how to protect against cybersecurity vulnerabilities, but also how hackers work and think.
We have to look into the mind of a hacker and become ethical hackers.
He said that the growing prevalence and complexity of cyberattacks requires cybersecurity experts to be more prepared than ever before.
Hackers are becoming much more persistent. They’re becoming smarter at what they do.
In-Demand Skills with Strong Growth Opportunity
Ron noted that cybersecurity specialists are among the most in-demand professionals across industries.
Every single entity in today’s world has a network that needs to be secured.
Cybersecurity jobs are expected to grow 33 percent through 2030, roughly 5 times faster than the national average for job growth, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. And there’s no signs of that trend slowing down.
The UNH College of Professional Studies: Affordable, Online, Flexible
Ron noted that the college’s top-ranked online programs are a great choice for students looking for an affordable, flexible education. Students can their degrees online while working in the field, allowing them to complete their coursework on their own schedule.
He also acknowledged that UNH CPS is transfer friendly. In addition to maximizing previously earned college credit, the College assesses credit for other college-level knowledge demonstrated outside the traditional classroom.
Connect with Ron Danault
Ron welcomes current and prospective UNH College of Professional Studies students to connect with him on LinkedIn.