By Apryl Motley – Communications Consultant, MS-CC
Editor’s Note: This Q&A continues off our series of short interviews spotlighting members of the MS-CC community. Be on the lookout for additional interviews each month, and email Apryl Motley if there’s an MS-CC community member you like us to spotlight in the future or if you would like to be in the spotlight yourself. We appreciate community members and all they do to move our mission forward.
Dr. Deanne Cranford-Wesley is the director of the Cybersecurity Lab/ Center of Academic Excellence and Cyber Defense POC/NCYTE consultant at North Carolina Central University in Durham. Dr. Cranford-Wesley, pictured below (center) with her co-presenters, was a speaker at the 2025 MS-CC Annual Meeting in Nashville.
Her institution has been involved with the MS-CC since its inception. “Our CIO got the university involved,” she noted. “Being a part of the MS-CC has been a great journey for the university, our faculty, and staff.
Read on to learn more about how participation in the MS-CC has been beneficial to her.
More About Dr. Cranford-Wesley
- What She Likes Most about Her Job: Helping students reach their educational goals and building relationships with industry partners
- Best Advice She Ever Received (& from whom): “Don’t wait for perfect infrastructure to start building your research and teaching capacity—start where you are, and let MS-CC help you expand.” (One of the annual meeting speakers said something similar, but this is my version.)
- Her Personal Motto: Learn with purpose. Build with integrity. Rise through education
Q: How does participation in the MS-CC help you in your current role?
It helps me gain access to resources and support for building and sustaining advanced cyberinfrastructure on my campus. The MS-CC fosters a trusted community of professionals across Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), offering opportunities for peer collaboration, mentorship, and sharing best practices. It supports training and skill-building initiatives that help faculty, staff, and students develop competencies.
Q: Is there a particular resource that you find especially useful?
The community of practice meetings are very beneficial to developing research relationships and granting collaborations.
Q: What would you say to encourage other institutions to participate in the MS-CC?
MS-CC is more than a consortium; it’s a community of practice dedicated to advancing cyberinfrastructure and research excellence at MSIs. By participating, an institution could gain access to research opportunities, enhance teaching, support students, and build connections with other institutions.
Q: Why does participation in the MS-CC continue to be important for you?
It is important to me because it is a community of practice dedicated to advancing cyberinfrastructure to benefit research, faculty, and students.
Ready to Get Involved?
Joining the MS-CC as a participant is simple, quick, easy – and free! Fill out the form, join the mailing list, and stay informed about upcoming meetings and activities.
About the MS-CC
The MS-CC aims to strengthen cyberinfrastructure for research and education across a wide range of fields and communities, taking into account the education, research, and service missions of participating institutions. In partnership with Internet2, the MS-CC received funding from the National Science Foundation to support this vision: OAC Award # 2137123 and OAC Award # 2234326.