Frederick Chang, a nationally-recognized cyber security expert and former National Security Agency director of research, was named as the new Bobby B. Lyle Endowed Centennial Distinguished Chair in Cyber Security.

He joins the Lyle School of Engineering faculty to develop a multidisciplinary program aimed at tackling cyber challenges facing individuals, business and government.

President R. Gerald Turner announced Chang’s appointment shortly after he announced the board of trustees’ decision to raise the Second Century Campaign goal to $1 billion.

“One of the reasons we wanted to put those two announcements together is it shows what an endowed chair, particularly a well-funded one like a distinguished chair, can do,” Turner said. “[I put] those two things together so when [people] say ‘What good does it do if you raise money for a campaign?’ — here’s an example.”

Chang’s position was funded by SMU trustee Bobby B. Lyle. Chang is the first Centennial Distinguished Chair. His faculty position is endowed at $2.5 million, plus start-up funding of $1 million for the first five years as support for the position and related research. The Lyle school’s research in cyber security began 15 years ago.

Chang will also be a professor of computer science in the Lyle school and a senior fellow in the John Goodwin Tower Center for Political Studies.

“Cyber security is an extremely difficult problem that requires an interdisciplinary approach,” Chang said at the announcement made Friday in Caruth Hall. “SMU encourages interdisciplinary thinking, so such an approach will thrive here.”