REGISTER TODAY: NCITE hosts panel on trauma in counterterrorism work

Join NCITE and the University of Nebraska at Omaha's Division of Student Life and Wellbeing for an expert panel examining trauma in the counterterrorism workforce.

A hand-drawn illustration of a man sitting at a computer, cast in yellow light, with sketched overlays of bound hands and a man in a gas mask holding a bat and spraying pepper spray.

REGISTER FOR THE ONLINE EVENT

Academic researchers, government practitioners, and others in the counterterrorism mission community are tasked daily with examining violent and disturbing material. The trauma incurred in the course of this work can take a profound toll – on the personal lives of the individuals and the field as a whole.

Join NCITE and the University of Nebraska at Omaha's Division of Student Life and Wellbeing for an expert panel exploring trauma and its impact on national security.

This event will be streamed online from 2-3:15 p.m. CDT on Thursday, Oct. 19. Register here to tune in.

Hear from keynote speaker Celia Durall of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC). Durall serves as executive director of the NCTC. She previously served as acting chief of the IC Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Office. She has experience leading the design, development, and execution of human resource strategies to support those who serve in U.S. intelligence agencies.

Experts in academia will then discuss trauma – and how to address it. Speakers are:

  • Matthew Crayne, Ph.D., SUNY Albany | Crayne is an assistant professor of management in SUNY Albany's Massry Center for Business. His research focuses on the intersection of leadership, values, and identity in the workplace, currently centered on the causes of values-based harm. He leads an NCITE project examining the effects of trauma on terrorism researchers.
  • Neil Shortland, Ph.D., University of Massachusetts Lowell | Shortland is an associate professor and director of UMass Lowell's Center for Terrorism and Security Studies. His research focuses on the psychological aspects of domestic and international security. Alongside Crayne, he leads an NCITE project examining the effects of trauma on terrorism researchers.
  • Daisy Muibu, Ph.D., Africa Center for Strategic Studies | Muibu is an assistant professor of security studies at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies. Her research examines the relationship between terrorism, domestic security, counterinsurgency, the public, and civil conflict. She co-leads an NCITE project that examines the effects of trauma on counterterrorism practitioners.

Explore NCITE Research

NCITE is investigating the problem of trauma in the counterterrorism workforce in dual research projects. Learn more about both:

  • Vicarious Trauma in Counterterrorism Practitioners: The project aims to explain how counterterrorism professionals are affected by exposure to violent materials, to what extent vicarious trauma is affecting the counterterrorism workforce, and what tools exist or may be modified to mitigate these potential harmful impacts on the homeland security enterprise.
  • Understanding Trauma in Counterterrorism Researchers: This project seeks to identify the types of psychological trauma that terrorism researchers experience and determine how widespread trauma is among the workforce. It also seeks to identify risk factors and explain the impact of trauma on performance and retention.
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