NCITE Insights

Youth Recruitment and Mobilization

Erin sits down with NCITE Research Associates Bettina Rottweiler, Ph.D., and Brenna Helm, ABD, to discuss their burgeoning research on youth recruitment and mobilization to violent extremism. They touch on the rise of nihilistic violent extremism (NVE), populations that are especially at risk, and the environments that are leading young people to seek out extreme content. 

Exploitation of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS)

On the latest episode of the podcast, Erin sits down with Austin Doctor, Ph.D., NCITE director of strategic initiatives, and Joel Elson, Ph.D., NCITE director of IS&T research initiatives, to discuss their research on malign actors' exploitation of unmanned aerial systems (UAS). The research is a part of a larger project examining malign use of existing and emerging geospatial technologies. 

Student Spotlight: Jargon Translation and NCITE Communications

On the latest episode of the podcast, host Ben Battafarano sits down with Eva Burklund, UNO senior and NCITE communications student worker, to discuss her career at NCITE and her future plans. Eva began at NCITE three years ago this week, and will graduate Friday with a bachelor of arts in communications and a bachelor of science in political science. In the fall, she will pursue doctoral studies in communications at the University of Pittsburgh. 
Special note: Eva coined the name of our podcast!

Old Threats and New: ISIS and 764

Erin sits down with Seamus Hughes, NCITE senior research faculty and policy associate, to discuss domestic prosecution and sentencing of members of ISIS and the group 764. A nationally recognized expert in the U.S. federal court search system, PACER, Hughes founded and runs the website Court Watch, which provides analysis of federal court filings, search warrants, and indictments. In 2022, he was a part of a New York Times team that won the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting for their reporting on law enforcement in America.
This podcast was recorded at 9am on Thursday, May 8.
For more on 764, see NCITE's Austin Doctor, Ph.D., featured in an exposé of the group published by ABC Action News–Tampa Bay: FBI warns of sadistic new online threat that landed Tampa teen in prison. 

Reflecting on the Oklahoma City Bombing 30 Years Later

Blake sits down with Anne Barnes, MBA, interim vice president and chief financial officer for the University of Nebraska System, to reflect on the 30th anniversary of the Oklahoma City Bombing. Barnes was working less than a mile from the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building when a truck bomb detonated in front of it, blowing apart a third of the building and leading to the deaths of 168 people, including 19 children. 

Student Spotlight: I-O Psychology Conference and Career Plans

Erin sits down with Alexis D'Amato and Emma Theobald, two NCITE researchers and UNO graduate students in industrial and organizational psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences, to discuss their recent trip to the Society of Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) conference in Denver, CO. They discuss their presentations, field, and career plans. 

Supply Chains and Soft Target Security

Erin sits down with NCITE researcher Jenni Hesterman, Ed.D. to discuss the threats malevolent actors pose to supply chains and other soft targets and what steps should be taken for prevention. Since 2007, Hesterman has served as a security services consultant for the public and private sector, investigating transnational terror and crime threats and providing risk assessment. Hesterman is a retired Air Force colonel and an astronaut-in-training (analog).
Use the following link to view Hesterman's presentation on supply chain security: https://youtu.be/3RZVrjD0BsE

Student Spotlight: First Peer Review, Travel, and Career Plans with Camden Carmichael

On the latest episode of the podcast, Blake sits down with Camden Carmichael, an NCITE researcher and UNO undergraduate in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice. They discuss Carmichael's recent trip to the National Targeting Center in D.C., becoming an author on his first peer reviewed paper, and his post-graduation plans. Carmichael will graduate with his bachelor's degree in May.
Check out his team's paper using this link: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/epdf/10.1080/17440572.2025.2467702?needAccess=true.

Terrorist Recruitment, Desired Skills, and AI

Erin sits down with NCITE researcher Evan Perkoski, Ph.D., to discuss his team's research on terrorist recruitment trends. They also discuss his upcoming project, funded by Schmidt Futures, which will study how AI is impacting all aspects of terrorist organizations, including their marketing, financial, and training operations. Perkoski is an associate professor and director of undergraduate studies of political science at the University of Connecticut.
Check out the NCITE team's recruitment research here: https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1117&context=ncitereportsresearch

War Games: Simulation-based Training for the HSE

Host Blake Ursch sits down with Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, Ph.D. and Eleanor Ross (no relation) to discuss their contributions to an NCITE project examining the efficacy of simulation-based training for HSE workforce development. The project involves the implementation of a course at Duke University in which students represent various actors and entities (Germany, Google, etc.) while navigating global crises and advancing pre-determined agendas. Gartenstein-Ross is a co-PI on the project and is the founder and CEO of Valens Games. Eleanor Ross is the director of game design at Valens Games and graduated from Duke University in May with her bachelor’s degree in international comparative studies and Arabic.