National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center (NCITE)

?? "This reporting on an influx of foreign terrorist fighters in Africa is concerning." NCITE Head of Counterterrorism Research Initiatives Austin Doctor adds context for Voice of America in this story about foreign fighters traveling to join the Islamic State's affiliate in Somalia. ? https://lnkd.in/gi4Pr92m ? For more on the Islamic State's presence in Somalia, read this piece by Doctor and NCITE Director Gina Ligon about Abdulqadir Mumin, published by the Combating Terrorism Center. ? https://lnkd.in/ewkUAJqW ?? And learn more about terrorist recruitment in Somalia with this quick-hit report from NCITE researcher Evan Perkoski at the University of Connecticut. ? https://lnkd.in/gjFh7yZr

?? NEW WEBINAR: Building Resilience in the Counterterrorism Workforce ?? 11 a.m. CT/Noon ET ??? Thursday, Dec. 5 Join NCITE for a webinar discussing how organizations can protect counterterrorism professionals doing critical but often difficult work. Panelists are: ? Joseph Young, Ph.D., director of the Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce and a professor at the?University of Kentucky ? Daisy Muibu, Ph.D., assistant professor of security studies and an NCITE principal investigator Register now!? https://lnkd.in/gbTybZVa

4?? NCITE's fourth year marked several milestones. Funding, outputs, and capabilities have all grown as the Center continues to add projects, present research through deliverables and a new podcast, and increase audience and esteem in the homeland security enterprise. NCITE hosted our second in-person conference, ENVISION24, at our home in Omaha. There, researchers from across the consortium gathered to network and build bridges between academia and government. And we cut the ribbon on our new headquarters at the Scott Technology Center, which provides office space for the growing number of faculty, staff, and students joining NCITE. Read about it all – alongside stories of our students, stakeholders, and staff – in our Year 4 annual report. ? https://lnkd.in/g8jRsyBC

?? NCITE Insights: Forecasting Post-Election Threats to Public Officials ?? On the latest episode of the podcast, interim host Blake Ursch speaks with Seamus Hughes, NCITE senior research faculty and policy associate, about the Center’s research on threats to public officials in the light of the recent presidential election.? “I’m really interested in what the next six months looks like.” Listen and subscribe to NCITE Insights on major podcast platforms: ? Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/grAYjxCa ? Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gP5bvrah ? Podbean: https://lnkd.in/gBVX9Yhr Watch/listen now! ? https://lnkd.in/gSitjPFn

NCITE was proud to open its doors to members of Women Investing in Nebraska (WIN) for a look at the cutting-edge counterterrorism research we manage from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Grateful to have Joanne Li, Ph.D., CFA, Morgan Holen, MBA and dozens of WIN members. NCITE Director Gina Ligon set the table (facing group). Students including Karlie Chonis, Angie Benda, Jacylan Doering, Camden Carmichael (L-R group), Emma Theobald (demo), + Anthony Roberson, Drew Swanberg, Jack Rygg, Tyler McCoid, Travis Pikop, Will Kuhfal led tours and demos. Research fellows Alex B. and Mackenzie Harms helped tell NCITE's story, too.

Proud to be honored at the University of Nebraska at Omaha's annual Research and Creative Activity Celebration last month!

?? More than two dozen NCITE scholars are presenting their research at the American Society of Criminology’s annual meeting in San Francisco this week. Will you be there? Join our experts for panels and presentations, including: ? Michael Becker | Granting Permission to Hate? Examining the Application of Techniques of Neutralization in Online Forums Following Instances of Political Violence ? Steve Chermak and Joshua Freilich | Profiling School Gun Violence Offenders Using Latent Class Analysis ? Jeff Gruenewald | Examining Mass Shootings and the Mobilization to Violence: A Thematic Analysis Approach ? Brenna Helm | An Examination of REM Extremist Women’s Discourse and Identity Construction Across Digital Media Platforms ? Tom Holt | Roundtable: Charting the Future for Cybercrime Research ? Erin Kearns | Roundtable: Advancing Criminology: Harnessing Innovative Technologies and Methodologies for Future Challenges ? Michael Logan | Deterrence or Backlash? The Influence of Law Enforcement Operations on the Stop Cop City Movement ? Sarah Lynch | Texas Killers of Peace Officers, Death Sentences & Executions: An Analysis ? Meg McBride | Domestic Terrorism Offender-Level Database (DTOLD): A New Database Focused on Psychosocial, Trauma-Related, and Life History Variables ? Jeffery Osborne | Roundtable: Addressing Fentanyl-Related Issues Through a Research-Practice Partnership: Introducing the SDSU Regional Resilience Center on Nov. 16 ? Neil Shortland | Identity Fusion, Misinformation, and Police Legitimacy ? Noah Turner, Steve Chermak, and Josh Freilich | Comparing Warning Behaviors Demonstrated by Violent Extremists and Mass Shooters ? Adan Vela and Steven Windisch | ?Identifying Online Calls for Election-Related Violence and Monitoring Online Discourse for Election-Motivated Violence https://lnkd.in/gZUCDZr2

?? It's Election Day! While you're waiting in line to vote, learn more about NCITE's election-related work. In a tense election year, NCITE has been taking a clear-eyed look at the problems we face, exploring solutions for how to address them. We've: ? Been tracking the number of federal court cases involving threats to public officials, including elected officials and election workers: https://lnkd.in/g7n-UuKK ? Hosted productive discussions with experts in academia and government, exploring priorities and strategies for securing the election: https://lnkd.in/giaMFE2c ? Dug deep into the threats facing the boots-on-the-ground election workers who are doing their best to ensure the health of our democracy: https://lnkd.in/gRDpj4UZ Find links to this work and more on our website. ? https://lnkd.in/gikYArcf

? In the Nebraska Examiner today: "Omahans are in a unique position to counter election threats" "... given our position as a bipartisan city, in the center of our divided nation, Omahans are in a unique position to both observe the threat and work together to counter it. But first, we need to understand what we’re up against." Read this piece from Gina Ligon and Seamus Hughes outlining the myriad threats facing the country this election season and how Omaha's mixed politics offers hope for addressing them. ? https://lnkd.in/gXCTMN52

?? NCITE Insights: Threats to Election Workers ?? On the latest episode of the podcast, host Erin Grace speaks with NCITE researcher Steven Windisch, Ph.D., about his research investigating threats to election officials during the 2024 election cycle. “When we think about what these threats are doing, they’re really spoiling their identities. They’re robbing them of a sense of credibility.”? ? Listen and subscribe to NCITE Insights on major podcast platforms:? ? Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/grAYjxCa ? Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gP5bvrah ? Podbean: https://lnkd.in/gBVX9Yhr ? Watch/listen now! ? ? https://lnkd.in/gRDpj4UZ