Director of the Center for International Studies, Director of the Global Cybersecurity Program and Assistant Professor of International Studies
Eric C. Botts is the Director of the Center for International Studies, Director of the Global Cybersecurity Program and Assistant Professor of International Studies at the University of St. Thomas. Mr. Botts is a frequent lecturer at the Women’s Institute of Houston teaching a course entitled The World According to Eric. 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, Mr. Botts retired and went to work in the private sector. 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 is a founding board member of the Foreign Policy Alliance and has spoken on foreign policy issues to civic groups, colleges, and the media. He 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. In the cyber security community, he sits on the Secure World Advisory Council is a member of the Information Systems Security Association. He is a frequent speaker and panelist within the cybersecurity community and has appeared on local television as a subject matter expert for international affairs and cybersecurity related issues. He authored and published two novels: Conversations with An Alien (2004) and The Circle – Portrait of an American Family (2015).