Posted on June 18, 2026 by Anastasia Cisneros-Lunsford
Designated as RSAC™ Security Scholars, two College of AI, Cyber and Computing students recently joined other collegiate scholars from across the nation to explore emerging cybersecurity threats, connect with industry leaders and gain insights into the future of the field.
Computer science doctoral student AHM Nazmus Sakib and recent UT San Antonio graduate Nolan Billings represented the next generation of cybersecurity professionals at the RSA Conference this past spring in San Francisco, CA. The event brought together cybersecurity experts, researchers and industry leaders to share knowledge and examine the challenges facing the field.
RSAC's goal is to help develop the next generation of cyberwarriors as they work together in building a stronger, more secure future. Billings, who graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration in cybersecurity this month, described the RSA Conference as an incredible experience that offered him and his fellow scholars an opportunity to network with numerous professional industry leaders and with each other. The conference also enriched his professional growth and knowledge.
"I learned about emerging artificial intelligence-driven attack methods, new defense tactics and techniques, cybersecurity frameworks to protect against the future, and the fast-growing impact of AI agents on the future of the cybersecurity field," Billings said.
Nominated for the RSAC Security Scholar program by Professor Robert Kaufman and Charles Liu, PhD, chair of the Department of Information Systems and Cybersecurity, Billings supports the CyberSkills2Work bootcamp with weekly instruction during the summer session. He also completed the 40-hour SimSpace Range Engineer training and successfully passed the six-hour check ride, becoming the first UT San Antonio student to be designated a SimSpace Certified Range Engineer.
Billings said he is thankful for the experience, especially at the dinner event with leading experts in AI, national security, privacy and cryptography.
"It was a surreal and inspiring opportunity to speak with experts on the latest technological breakthroughs and hear their perspectives on the future of cybersecurity," he said. "(The conference) provided me with valuable knowledge and insights that I will be able to carry with me into my future work, graduate studies, and personal projects."
Associate Dean of Graduate Studies Kim-Kwang Raymond Choo, PhD, professor of information systems and cybersecurity, said Billings performed stellar work as an undergraduate research assistant in the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) Security Lab on a Department of Defense-sponsored grant. The U.S. Air Force recognized his work, hiring him as a civilian intern for the summer and sponsoring his graduate studies. Billings will return to UT San Antonio in the fall to pursue a Master of Science degree in information technology with a concentration in cybersecurity.
Choo said Sakib, a computer science doctoral student, is a rising star in the field. Sakib has contributed significantly to a paper presented at the USENIX Security Symposium, a leading cybersecurity research conference, which was honored with a Distinguished Paper Award. He recently completed his qualifying exam and submitted the first paper of his dissertation to a top security conference, the Network and Distributed System Security (NDSS) Symposium.
— Anastasia Cisneros-Lunsford
