Gina Scott Ligon
Director, National Counterterrorism, Innovation, Technology, and Education (NCITE) Center, University of Nebraska Omaha
2023
Gina Ligon is the founder and director of NCITE – the largest counterterrorism and targeted violence research consortium in the U.S. She is an internationally known industrial-organizational psychologist with proven terrorism expertise in both the academic and policy spheres. Dr. Ligon has served on Office of the Director of National Intelligence panels for the National Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine. She regularly briefs to the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, National Media Exploitation Center, and other federal agencies on international and domestic terrorism. She serves on the advisory board of CREST, the U.K.-based Centre for Research and Evidence on Security threats. Ligon has published more than 80 peer-reviewed publications related to violent extremist organizations, leadership, and collaboration, and has had federal funding for her research since 2008. She also serves on the editorial board of four academic journals related to terrorism studies, leadership, and innovation.
The inaugural Eradicate Hate Summit was a truly impressive gathering of leaders dedicated to finding lasting and effective solutions to violent extremism. I was particularly moved by the prominence given to survivors and family members of victims of hate and violence throughout the event. Their stories and those of so many others must be at the center of what we do and why we do it.
