NCITE Insights

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.

Cyber Threats Part 2: Cyberattacks and Critical Infrastructure

In the second episode of a two-part series on NCITE's cyber threats research, Erin sits down with NCITE researchers and political scientists Ryan Shandler, Ph.D., and Jon Lindsay, Ph.D., both of the Georgia Tech School of Cybersecurity and Privacy. They discuss their research on the level of risk posed to each of the nation's 16 critical infrastructure sectors and their effort to model which sectors would be most attractive to malevolent actors. 

Cyber Threats Part 1: Deepfakes and Critical Infrastructure

In the first of a two-part series focused on NCITE's cyber threats research, Erin sits down with Deanna House, Ph.D., head of NCITE's Cyber Threat Analysis Lab and UNO assistant professor in the College of Information Science and Technology. House discusses her team's research on how deepfakes could be used to undermine a critical infrastructure sector's organizational reputation, financial health, and data security. 

Business Training for the Homeland Security Enterprise

On the latest episode of the podcast, host Blake Ursch sits down with NCITE MBA students Karlie Chonis and Jacylan Doering to discuss NCITE's project exposing business students to the problem sets and careers of homeland security. 

The Psychology of Terrorists

Erin sits down with John Horgan, Ph.D., distinguished professor of psychology at Georgia State University, to discuss deradicalization versus disengagement and the importance of in-depth interviews with those with extreme beliefs. They also discuss Horgan's recent scaling of Mount Aconcagua in Argentina and his passion for mountain climbing. 

Family and Suspicious Activity Reporting

On the latest episode of the podcast, host Erin Grace speaks with NCITE researcher Karyn Sporer, Ph.D., to discuss her research conducting life histories with family members of violent extremists and the role they play in radicalization identification and intervention.

Prosecuting Terror: Atomwaffen Division

Interim host Blake Ursch speaks with Seamus Hughes, NCITE senior research faculty and policy associate, to examine Hughes' research on the prosecution and sentencing of the neo-Nazi group Atomwaffen Division.

Revisiting Bourbon Street: Meta Glasses

Erin sits down with Sam Hunter, Ph.D., NCITE senior scientist and director of academic research, to discuss the use of Meta smart glasses by the perpetrator of the New Year’s Day attack in New Orleans.

New Year's Attack in New Orleans

Erin sits down with NCITE director Gina Ligon, Ph.D., to examine the New Year's Day attack in New Orleans. They discuss the difference between directed versus inspired attacks, the use of vehicles as a weapon, the persisting influence of the Islamic State, and NCITE research on behavioral threat assessment and management. 

The Human Trafficking-Terrorism Nexus

Erin sits down with NCITE graduate student Elle Ward to discuss her UNO-funded research on the human trafficking-terrorism nexus. They discuss why the nexus exists, risk factors leading to hotspots, and the sometimes-blurry line between terrorists and trafficked individuals. 
Ward was able to study the nexus via a Graduate Research and Creative Activity (GRACA) grant through the UNO Office of Research and Creative Activity (ORCA). She will graduate Friday with her master's degree in geographic information science and technology and will begin a second master's in applied computing and informatics this spring.