Charles Stamp donates $1 million to SEMO for state-of-the-art cyber command center

Charles Stamp Jr., a 1971 graduate of Southeast Missouri State University, gifted the university $1 million to support the construction of its new cyber command center.

The command center, which will officially be named the Charles Stamp Cyber Command Center, will provide students with “immersive, real-world training experiences” through SEMO’s collaboration with IBM.

“I feel strongly about helping this program mature and helping it as it grows and expands. I’m excited about that,” Stamp said in a news release from the university. “The opportunity to work with students and build upon a more significant learning experience for them is something I’m thrilled to be a part of and participate in.”

Stamp graduated from SEMO with a bachelor’s degree in political science and then received a law degree from the University of Missouri. His career began in Sikeston where he worked as an attorney before becoming president of Meyer Agri-Products in 1981.

Eighteen years later, he joined Deere and Company as president and CEO of its acquisition of InterAg Technologies. Additionally, he served as president of John Deere Special Technologies Group, president of the Agricultural Division of Global AgServices and vice president of Public Affairs Worldwide with Deere and Company in 2002.

During his time as VP, Stamp led a “global organization, conducting governmental relations and public affairs worldwide on behalf of a company with 60,000 employees and operations in more than 100 countries” before retiring in 2018.

“I am appreciative of Charlie’s generosity,” SEMO president Carlos Vargas said. “That generosity extends well beyond this remarkable gift. He has a history of supporting SEMO, especially our students. He knows firsthand the importance of real-world learning experiences for students. Charlie has given financial support repeatedly to increase those opportunities for our students and he has given his time continuously to mentor them. I am sincerely grateful for what he has done and continues to do for SEMO.”

The command center will have three types of cyber consoles, an “immersive” 27-foot display wall, an observation room and dedicated servers. It will allow students to participate in real-time cyber breach scenarios that will help “test their responses to enterprise-level cyber incidents and build stronger security measures.”

In addition to Stamp’s gift, House Bill 297, enacted in July 2021 and designates SEMO as the only “institution of higher education with a statewide mission in computer science and cybersecurity” in Missouri, also aided with funding for the cyber command center.

SEMO will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday, Oct. 25, to celebrate its completion. The Charles Stamp Cyber Command Center is located on campus in Dempster Hall.