Cecil College computer program powers student’s defense tech breakthrough

NORTH EAST, Md:Andrew Dutton-Topper, a Cybersecurity student at Cecil College, is demonstrating how classroom learning can translate into cutting-edge innovation and entrepreneurial success. A resident of Conowingo, Maryland, Dutton-Topper has combined academic excellence with ambitious technical projects.

Prior to enrolling in the cybersecurity program at Cecil College, Dutton-Topper built a strong professional foundation by completing certifications in information technology andcybersecurityfromdifferent institutions. This training has enabled him to maintain a 4.0 GPA and to be recognized on the President’s List for three consecutive semesters.

“I specifically enrolled in the software and cybersecurity classes because building defense mechanisms at the hardware level demands a rigorous understanding of the software stack it protects,” Dutton-Topper said.

Dutton-Topper recently achieved a goal of building technologies that strengthen critical infrastructure protection with recognition from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Dutton-Topper was selected a semifinalist in the DARPA Computational Imaging Detection and Ranging (CIDAR) Challenge, competing against established university research teams and corporate organizations, including Purdue University.

Through his company Dutton-Topper Devices, he earned a $50,000 award and now advances to the finals, where a $1 million grand prize is at stake. Five teams remain in contention.

“The skills I am developing at Cecil College continue to play a critical role in my success. The CIDAR Challenge focuses on advanced computer vision concepts, programming, calculus, analytical radiometry, and geometry,” said Dutton-Topper, whose work centers on monocular distance estimation and passive ranging using multispectral imaging.

He credits Cecil College faculty and coursework for helping build the technical foundation necessary to compete at this level. In particular, he notes that Professor Sue Price's Python programming instruction helped him develop the software capabilities required for his DARPA submission.

Beyond the CIDAR Challenge, Dutton-Topper is developing Project Accelseer, an initiative that aligns with his Cybersecurity studies. Accelseer is an open-source hardware hypervisor designed specifically for cybersecurity research and defense. It focuses on Unified Memory Architectures (UMA), systems in which CPUs and GPUs share memory resources to process data more efficiently. The platform also includes architectural support for discrete graphics processors and dedicated Neural Processing Units (NPUs).

According to Dutton-Topper, Accelseer is designed to function as a unified hardware system capable of detecting and defending against threats that traditional cybersecurity tools often overlook. Dutton-Topper says traditional cybersecurity suites rarely comprehensively monitor GPU, UMA, or NPU activity, creating security gaps.

A recent milestone was the successful breadboard validation of Accelseer's core hardware-native telemetry concepts. This demonstrated the feasibility of monitoring and defending systems at the physical hardware layer. The next phase involves deployment within a simulation environment that Dutton-Topper is designing in his home cyber test range.

He says his coursework in software development and cybersecurity at Cecil College has been instrumental in understanding the software stack that hardware-level security solutions are designed to protect.

“My biggest strength is that I am curious. I'm not especially smart; I'm simply a voracious learner. My hunger for information continues to grow every year,” said Dutton-Topper, who is in the process of studying offline artificial intelligence systems, biological models of information processing, and the parallels between machine learning and genetic evolution.

As he prepares for the final round of the DARPA CIDAR Challenge and advances Project Accelseer, Dutton-Topper remains focused on the opportunities his education has created.

“My pursuit of knowledge at Cecil College is an aggressive mapping of the technological landscape in preparation for a prolific career in national defense,” he said. “I am very proud to be a Seahawk.”

Learn more about STEM programs at Cecil College by visiting cecil.edu/stem.

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