About the Speaker
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    Eric C. Botts
    Director, Global Cybersecurity Program, University of St. Thomas

    Eric Botts is Director, Global Cybersecurity Program and Assistant Professor of International Studies at the University of St. Thomas teaching courses on Cyber Warfare, Cyber Ethics, Geopolitical Risk, Digital Governance, and Introduction to Enterprise Cybersecurity. Mr. Botts is a lecturer at the Women’s Institute of Houston teaching a course entitled The World According to Eric dealing with current events in geopolitics. Mr. Botts received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from St. Mary’s University and Master of Security Management from the University of Houston Downtown. After serving for 31 years in the U.S. Department of State as a Foreign Service Officer (Santo Domingo, Seoul, Dublin, and Nassau), Assistant Director of the Houston Passport Agency and an Information Systems Security Officer. During his federal career he served as Program Chairman of the Gulf Coast Federal Safety Council, and as a member of the Federal Executive Board. Mr. Botts teaching experience includes the University of Houston Downtown for courses in cybersecurity and organizational resilience in the Masters of Security Management Program.

    Mr. Botts retired and went to work in the private sector. In the private sector Mr. Botts worked as a security project manager and consultant for Swailes & Co. Inc. specializing in cyber security, risk management, business continuity, due diligence, travel security, and investigations until 2020. Mr. Botts is a founding board member of the Foreign Policy Alliance and has spoken on foreign policy issues to civic groups, colleges, and the media. In the cyber security community, he sits on the Secure World Advisory Council, is a member of the Internet Governance Forum USA. He authored and published two novels Conversations with An Alien (2004) and The Circle - Portrait of an American Family (2015).