Posted on May 29, 2026 by Anastasia Cisneros-Lunsford
As he pursues a Master of Science in information technology and a Quantum Information Science and Engineering (QISE) Graduate Certificate, Keeban Villarreal isn't stopping there. He just received the Outstanding Graduate Student Award, adding to his momentum here at UT San Antonio, where he also has plans to earn a PhD in information technology and support the university's position as a leader in quantum security.
Villarreal, who is set to graduate this fall with a master’s degree concentrating in cybersecurity, supports establishing UT San Antonio as a premier institution for quantum cybersecurity. His enthusiastic efforts in achieving this milestone have earned him a position as a graduate researcher in the Internet of Things Cybersecurity and Forensics Lab. Within the lab, led by research scientists Oren Upton, Jacob Stauffer, and Thomas Ervin, he is developing ZETTON, a quantum threat assessment tool designed to evaluate exposure to quantum-era threats and establish a roadmap for UT San Antonio to become a quantum-safe university.
Rita Mitra, DMA, MSCS, who nominated Villarreal for the graduate student award, said Villarreal is participating in forward-thinking research.
"Keeban's passion and enthusiasm for learning and, importantly, leading others to learn, is infectious," Mitra said. "(His) experimentation in quantum cybersecurity will continue to have an impact on the university and in the field at large."
As president of the Cyber Jedis student organization, Mitra said he inspires his peers to go beyond the classroom and explore emerging areas of technology, such as quantum cybersecurity. Villarreal said the Cyber Jedis became a platform to bring new and innovative ideas to undergraduate and graduate students. The UT San Antonio Cyber Jedis recently hosted The Future of AI, Cyber, and Computing, an all-day conference featuring the College of AI, Cyber, and Computing, giving graduate researchers the stage to present their work to a real audience. Organizations, like CyManII (Cybersecurity Manufacturing Innovation Institute), Cloudflare, the Open Cloud Institute, and The AI Cowboys, spoke to students about cutting-edge technology and its impact on cybersecurity, closing with Matthew Gibson-Lopez, PhD, who introduced students to the quantum computing opportunities currently available on campus through the QISE certificate.
Through the Cyber Jedis, Villarreal helped establish research interest groups within the organization, including Quantum Cybersecurity, Cyberwarfare and National Security, Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), and Cyber Threat Intelligence.
"My goal has always been to ensure that every student who interacts with our organization leaves knowing that the future is something they can work to be a part of," Villarreal said.
He also credits Mitra, and several other professors for their mentorship and support, including Lecturer Posie Aagard, faculty advisor for the Cyber Jedis; Hongyi Zhu, PhD; Raymond Choo, PhD; Professor Robert Kaufman; and Ervin, who introduced him to Digital Forensics through the undergraduate course.
Villarreal said his experience at UT San Antonio has been phenomenal so far. "Every leader I have encountered has believed in my journey, and I am deeply proud to be a Roadrunner," he said. "Receiving (the Outstanding Graduate Student Award) has proven to me that when you pursue your goals and commit to improving the world around you, you become part of something much larger than yourself."
— Anastasia Cisneros-Lunsford
