USF students co-author cutting-edge security research with industry leaders

• Andrea Knies
• June 11, 2026
• Students

As demand for intelligence and security professionals continues to grow globally, University of South Florida's Office of Corporate Training and Professional Education (CTPE) is a key partner in the Tampa Bay region's workforce development. Through a local needs assessment, CTPE identified a gap in training for students to enter high-demand careers with organizations such as the CIA, FBI, State Department, military intelligence and leading defense contractors.

Recognizing this need, USF set out to create a program that would bridge the gap between classroom learning and the rapidly evolving demands of the intelligence and security fields. The result was the Security Training Collaborative (STC), a unique 16-week internship program jointly led and managed by Jay Riley, CTPE senior director of special projects and external affairs; Luke Bencie, Security Management International (SMI) managing director; Jodi Livernois SMI chief of staff, and Mark Koulianos, USF Strategic Partnerships associate vice president. The program is headquartered in the STC office located in the USF Sarasota-Manatee Research Annex.

"This is not theory that we are teaching," said Bencie, "this is impact." During the program, students gain hands-on experience through real-world intelligence analysis exercises and expert-led briefings.

This year, four of the STC interns went beyond the program requirements and co-authored articles with Bencie. Published in the Journal of Counterterrorism & Homeland Security International, these articles explore relevant issues in security and provide valuable learning experiences for the students.

STC interns Alaa Elmougy and Penélope Cassini co-authored "Artificial Intelligence, Terrorism, and the Strain on Modern Security Institution" with Bencie. This article explores the speed at which emerging technologies, such as AI, are evolving and the difficulties for counterterrorism frameworks to keep pace.

Elmougy found this experience to be beneficial in unexpected ways. She said "beyond gaining insight into the writing and editorial process, I had the opportunity to engage with professionals actively researching and working in this space where I explored timely, real-world questions alongside them."

STC's emphasis on real-world experience was clearly showcased for Elmougy while researching this article. "It was profound to find that the concerns, questions and anticipations I had around AI proliferation in national security were well-founded," she said. "The opportunity to contribute to these conversations through this article is something I will carry with me throughout my career." While Elmougy focused on the implications of emerging technology, other interns explored how modern conflicts are reshaping global security in real time.

Cassini added, "It was an insightful opportunity that allowed me the academic creativity traditional classrooms do not offer. After the process, it heavily emphasized for me the importance and benefit of student perspectives on pressing issues; I hope our piece can contribute meaningfully."

Ryan Utt co-authored "Targeting the Grid: Tactics and Vulnerabilities in Russia's Campaign Against Ukrainian Energy Infrastructure" with fellow STC intern Daniil Kryvets and Bencie. This piece looks at the way modern conflict is becoming increasingly directed at civilian populations. Utt was surprised by how much information was available on this topic. "As technology has progressed and almost every soldier on the battlefield of Ukraine now has access to the internet," he said, "documentation of this conflict has reached levels previously thought to be impossible. The amount of information able to be hidden by nations is deteriorating, and whole websites have sprung up to document weaponry found on the battlefield that anyone can access." Experiences like this highlight how quickly students can move from learning about the field to actively contributing to it.

This process also provided the interns with an opportunity to learn new skills that will be valuable as they work towards their career goals. "Authoring this paper," Utt said, "gave me the opportunity to practice sifting through this information, verifying sources and constructing a narrative that is digestible for my target audience, all-important skills that I will need to hone if I am to achieve my goal of becoming an intelligence analyst for a three-letter agency."