Cybersecurity Chair Established by $1.5 Million Gift to Baylor University

The Todd and Amy Patterson Endowed Chair in Cybersecurity will receive support through the Illuminate Chair Matching Program

August 1, 2024
Students working on computers at Cyber Camp

Future students interested in cybersecurity attended this summer's Cyber Camp at the Central Texas Cyber Range, a joint venture between Baylor and MCC.

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Baylor University today announced a $1.5 million gift from B. Todd and Amy Patterson of Richmond, Texas, establishing The Todd and Amy Patterson Endowed Chair in Cybersecurity to advance the School of Engineering and Computer Science’s research within the field of cybersecurity. The Pattersons also made an additional gift establishing The Patterson Family Dean’s Scholarship in Engineering and Computer Science to support students who have been designated as participants in The Dean’s Scholars Program. 

The Todd and Amy Patterson Chair in Cybersecurity extends the impact of the faculty endowment initiatives launched under Baylor’s strategic plan Illuminate and qualifies for matching support through the Give Light Campaign’s Illuminate Chair Matching Program. The Patterson Chair is the fifth endowed chair established within the School of Engineering and Computer Science during the campaign.

“Baylor University is truly grateful for the commitment Todd and Amy Patterson have to our Christian mission and the faculty and students who make up this community,” said Baylor President Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D. “The Pattersons’ decision to build upon their legacy of impact through The Todd and Amy Patterson Endowed Chair in Cybersecurity and the Patterson Family Dean’s Scholarship in Engineering and Computer Science will broaden the University’s reach in critically important areas of research and affordability and access. I am grateful for their leadership, as they continue to seek out ways to amplify Baylor’s impact through endowment and for their continued service to Baylor University.”

Removing barriers

The Patterson Family Dean’s Scholarship in Engineering and Computer Science is intended to increase access to Baylor engineering and computer science education for high-achieving students who face financial barriers. The program directly addresses this challenge by offering renewable scholarships to deserving students, removing the financial obstacles for them and their families.

Students at Cyber Camp at the Central Texas Cyber Range

“We are honored and grateful to announce the establishment of The Patterson Endowed Chair in Cybersecurity at the School of Engineering and Computer Science,” said Daniel J. Pack, Ph.D., dean of Baylor’s School of Engineering and Computer Science. “The prestigious chair position will enable the School to continue attracting top talent from across the nation to Baylor University. With this endowed chair, we aim to enhance significantly Baylor’s contributions to the development of cutting-edge technologies and policies in the field of cybersecurity. We are also grateful for the Pattersons’ continued support of our students through The Patterson Family Dean’s Scholarship, which will open doors for generations of our students. The Pattersons’ visionary contributions will leave a lasting legacy at ECS and propel us toward greater excellence in cybersecurity education and research.”

The Todd and Amy Patterson Chair in Cybersecurity was established by the Pattersons to further the mission of the School of Engineering and Computer Science.

“Through our firm’s internship for STEM students, I have seen firsthand the impact of the School of Engineering and Computer Science on some of the brightest minds of the future,” said Todd Patterson, practice head and managing partner of the Houston intellectual property law firm Patterson + Sheridan LLP. “Not only are the students scholastically gifted, but they are thought leaders who are motivated to make a difference in technology and for Christ. Amy and I are proud to support this Chair in Cybersecurity and are excited to see the School of Engineering and Computer Science’s continued impact on cutting-edge technologies.” 

Inside the Central Texas Cyber Range with computers and desks
The Central Texas Cyber Range is a joint venture on cybersecurity education and innovation between Baylor and MCC. (Robert Rogers/Baylor University)

The Patterson Chair will support a chairholder who will expand innovative research and teaching that addresses the world’s most challenging problems in the field of cybersecurity. In recent years, the School identified cybersecurity as an area of strategic importance and growth in its efforts to expand its research and academic offerings for undergraduate and graduate students. The matching program supports the University’s efforts to generate high-impact research and scholarship, specifically focusing on research faculty chairs that support Illuminate’s five academic initiatives: Health; Data Sciences; Materials Science; Human Flourishing, Leadership and Ethics; and Baylor in Latin America.

A family’s commitment to Baylor

Todd and Amy Patterson are longtime supporters of Baylor and its students. Over the years, the Pattersons have invested generously in Baylor Athletics, supporting student-athletes through the Baylor Bear Foundation, and through gifts to the Billy W. Williams Golf Practice Facility. 

B. Todd and Amy Patterson, their children and grandchildren
 B. Todd and Amy Patterson with their children and grandchildren (Provided by the Patterson family)

Their generosity continued through support of student scholarships in the Louise Herrington School of Nursing and the School of Education. Todd’s firm, Patterson + Sheridan LLP, has actively recruited students graduating from Baylor Law School and generously supported the School of Engineering and Computer Science through the Patterson + Sheridan LLP Capstone Design Project Endowed Fund. The fund provides senior design program students with resourcing for projects that give them the full process of defining engineering problems, generating design concepts, developing solid models and demonstrating physical prototypes.

Todd and Amy both attended Baylor, with their family’s Baylor tradition continuing through their daughters, who are both Baylor alumnae. The Pattersons also actively support Baylor and its mission through service. Todd Patterson is currently a member of Baylor’s Board of Regents and ECS’s Board of Advocates. The Pattersons also served as members of the National Campaign Steering Committee for the Give Light campaign, Baylor’s most successful comprehensive fundraising campaign in the University’s 179-year history.

Todd graduated from Baylor University with a B.S. in biology in 1990, followed by attending the University of Texas Dental Branch in Houston before choosing instead to pursue a legal career. He earned his law degree with honors from South Texas College of Law in 1993 and is licensed by the State Bar of Texas. He is a member of the American Bar Association, the Houston Bar Association and the American Intellectual Property Law Association. He also is a fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation and a Master of the Bench in the Honorable Nancy F. Atlas Intellectual Property American Inn of Court. He is a regional board member for Canine Companions for Independence and has served on the board of the South Texas College of Law Alumni Association. 

Amy Patterson also attended Baylor, and she holds a B.A. in early childhood and elementary education from Houston Baptist University. She is certified in teaching, gifted and talented education, and English as a Second Language. She was a second-grade teacher in Katy ISD and also taught at Lamar Consolidated before retiring in 2016. 

The Pattersons are active members of the Second Baptist Church Houston, West Campus. Their daughter, Darian Schmeltekopf, B.S. ’13, recently transitioned from education to insurance and joined Bailey Insurance and Risk Management in Waco, Texas. Darian’s husband, Eric, B.A. ’15, works as a franchise manager for Visiting Angels in Waco. They are parents to two boys, Noah and Truett. Todd and Amy’s second daughter, Emily Conner, B.S. ’18, works at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston as a pediatric nurse and resides in Richmond, Texas, where she and husband, William (“Billy”), B.B.A. ’17, M.Acc. ’17, raise their two children, Theo and Hannah Kate. Billy is a licensed CPA and investment banking associate at GulfStar Group.

Baylor publicly launched the Give Light campaign on Nov. 1, 2018, with the campaign's conclusion on May 31, having raised $1.5 billion, shattering it’s initial $1.1 billion goal. The Campaign saw 101,030 alumni, parents and friends give to the University's priorities, as well as establishing 873 endowed scholarships and 48 endowed faculty positions. For more information, visit Give Light: The Campaign for Baylor website.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked Research 1 institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 20,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. Learn more about Baylor University at www.baylor.edu

ABOUT THE SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND COMPUTER SCIENCE AT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor ECS is advancing as a premier School of Engineering and Computer Science in research and education with a commitment to Christian values. Majors include bioinformatics, computer science, data science, cybersecurity, computer engineering, electrical and computer engineering, general engineering and mechanical engineering. ECS offers a number of graduate and PhD programs. We stand out from the crowd through Christian commitment, R1 research, a strong community, personalized career support, expert accessibility, and leading practical experience. Visit the ECS website to learn more and follow on Instagram and Facebook.