Announcement: The first annual NEXUS Conference will be held at UNT on April 2, 2026. Abstracts will be accepted from November 1 to February 1. For more information, see the call for abstracts linked here.

 

Network for Exploring the Intersection of Humans & Cybercrime

NEXUS fosters student-driven innovative and interdisciplinary social science research on cybercrime, creates networking opportunities with cybersecurity professionals and industry leaders, connects students with internship and future employment opportunities, and develops professional conference presentation experience.

NEXUS is an innovative, interdisciplinary research initiative developed through a partnership between the Department of Sociology at the University of North Texas (a top-tier R1 research university and the largest university in Dallas–Fort Worth area) and CISO XC, a highly respected professional cybersecurity organization founded by Cecil Pineda, Randy Potts, and Jaimin Shah, three seasoned Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) from the DFW area. The mission of NEXUS is to foster unique social science research on the human and social elements of cybercrime and cybersecurity within an ever-changing, increasingly volatile, and globalized cyberspace. NEXUS accomplishes this by promoting critical discourse and research on cybersecurity and cybercrime, providing students with opportunities to present at professional conferences, and helping them connect with industry leaders who can offer internship experience and employment opportunities in the field.

This academic research unit, along with CISO XC, supports and fosters inventive student-driven research illuminating trends in social behavior through active partnership with industry leaders, sponsors, and advisors in cybersecurity. Cutting-edge student-led research conducted through the Department of Sociology’s Cybercrime and Social Behavior program is presented at the CISO XC annual professional and academic cybersecurity conference at UNT each spring semester.

The CISO XC conference, in partnership with the Department of Sociology, NEXUS, and the Sociology Club, promotes internship connections for UNT students to make valuable professional contacts with industry leaders in cybersecurity. The Department of Sociology, in affiliation with CISO XC, provides an internship program for qualifying students.

NEXUS aims to prepare and connect students for future employment by fostering active participation in cybersecurity internships and providing invaluable experience with professional and academic presentations. This engagement brings students together with key industry leaders, including CISOs, the FBI, the Secret Service, cybercrime law firms, and others, to build networks that support post-graduation employment.

For more information please contact Dr. Helen Potts, NEXUS Director of Research & Development, at Helen.Potts@unt.edu.