The Global and National Security Institute (GNSI) at the University of South Florida is excited to announce the four students selected to represent USF-GNSI at the prestigious International Security and Intelligence (ISI) Programme this summer in Cambridge, United Kingdom.
The ISI Programme is part of the Cambridge Security Initiative, created in 2016 by Sir Richard Dearlove, a former Chief of British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6). The month-long, annual program is hosted at Emmanuel College, University of Cambridge, in Cambridge, England. Focused on transatlantic perspectives on intelligence and security, this program provides students with an exceptional opportunity to engage with some of the world’s leading practitioners and scholars in the field.
The International Security and Intelligence Programme is one of the most prestigious educational experiences in the world. We’re grateful for our partnership with the ISI Programme, which allows us to send USF students each year to join a highly selective cohort of emerging security leaders.
David Oakley, PhD
GNSI Academic Director
Milena Autero
First year undergraduate student, International Studies and History
Unique Alston
First year graduate student, Artificial Intelligence and Business Analytics
Justin Lecker
Second semester graduate student, Science and Financial Analytics
Zachary Kuntz
Second year PhD candidate, History
Alston, Autero, and Lecker are members of the GNSI Future Strategist Program (FSP), a student organization that offers beyond-the-classroom educational opportunities to all USF students interested in pursuing careers in global and national security.
“My goal in applying to the International Security and Intelligence Programme is to deepen my understanding of global security challenges and how intelligence organizations analyze emerging threats,” said PhD student Justin Locker. “As a student with a background in cybersecurity and financial analytics, I hope to gain insight into how technology, intelligence, and strategy intersect in modern security environments. I’m particularly excited to learn from leading scholars and practitioners while building connections with peers who share an interest in national security and intelligence.”
GNSI Executive Director, General (Ret) Frank McKenzie, congratulates USF students selected to attend the 2026 International Security and Intelligence Programme in Cambridge, England, along with students selected to attend the 2026 GNSI DC Experience. The students were announced at the recently completed GNSI International Security Experience at USF Tampa.
The selection of these four students demonstrates GNSI’s continued commitment to student
success at USF and preparing the next generation of security and intelligence practitioners.
By extending student access to world-class programs, GNSI further advances its mission
to inform decision-makers, prepare future practitioners, and enable solutions to current
global and national security challenges.
GNSI will begin accepting applications for the 2027 cohort for the ISI Programme later
this year. All USF students, from any major, are encouraged to apply.