Proud alumnus Spencer O’Gara ’16 (far left) is the mastermind behind Westminster student attendance at the Third Annual Ohio Counterterrorism Conference in Columbus last January.
Thanks to alumnus Spencer O’Gara ’16, six Westminster students experienced a unique professional opportunity exclusively reserved for counterterrorism professionals.
The Third Annual Ohio Counterterrorism Conference
In January, juniors Lulu Howser, Isabella Shelden, Isaac Thomas and Cooper Thompson as well as seniors Logan Mccurley and Ginna Meisenheimer attended the Third Annual Ohio Counterterrorism Conference, along with Dr. Tobias Gibson, Professor of Political Science and Security Studies.
O’Gara attended the previous Ohio counterterrorism conferences and describes the professional event as the best he has witnessed in his 10-year career as a crime and intelligence analyst.
“That made me share the agenda with Tobias, with whom I’ve stayed in contact since graduation,” explains O’Gara, who lives in Columbus.
Firsthand Accounts That Support Classroom Learning
From former infamous fraudster, conference presenter and FBI instructor Frank Abagnale Jr. — who inspired Steven Spielberg’s Catch Me if You Can — to intelligence professionals involved in incidents such as the 2025 New Year’s Day terrorist attack in New Orleans, Westminster students witnessed firsthand what they previously could only read about in textbooks.
Frank Abagnale Jr. (center) of Steven Spielberg’s Catch Me if You Can
was among the conference presenters.
“They were the only students to attend [the conference] … along with security professionals from all levels, bringing a good mix of idealism, drive and desire to learn, which was acknowledged and highlighted by several of my coworkers and associates after the fact,” O’Gara says.
A Powerful Networking Opportunity
Gibson adds the conference ended up being an excellent networking opportunity. Counterterrorism expert Dexter Ingram, whose credentials are too long to list here, took special interest in the Westminster group.
“He was the most interesting, overall,” Gibson reflects. “He spoke with the students and me for hours. That’s not an exaggeration.”
The students additionally appreciated learning about pattern tracing within cryptocurrency transactions, the dangers faced by children on the internet and what de-radicalization efforts entail for experts working with families of extremists.
The latter presentation, given by ex-jihadist-turned-counterterrorism expert Mubin Shaikh, “showed there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and people can get help and be successfully de-radicalized,” says Howser, who is triple-majoring in Political Science, Global & Transnational Studies and National Security while minoring in Pre-Law.
A Liberal Arts Education in Action
Unlike Howser, O’Gara majored in History at Westminster but similarly found his passion in Security Studies, which was his minor. The unique blend of subjects perfectly illustrates how a Westminster liberal arts degree, which allows for course flexibility, can lead to endless job opportunities.
O’Gara recommends those who are interested in security-related careers attend conferences as well as secure an internship.
Ultimately, though, he thinks Westminster students are in good hands and deftly sums up his educational experience in one short sentence: “Tobias’ program was phenomenal and helped me prepare for the real world.”
If you are a Westminster alum who can help students find internships or serve as a mentor in other ways, please contact Shelby Rufkahr, Director of Alumni Engagement, at Shelby.Rufkahr@WCMO.edu or 573-592-5570. For more information on the Department of Political Science and Security Studies, please contact Tobias.Gibson@WCMO.edu or 573-592-5185.
Sarah Rummel Backer is the Director of Media Relations and Senior Writer at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri. A proud Westminster graduate, Sarah has more than 20 years of experience in marketing and strategic communications in the areas of higher education, medicine, agriculture, and the private business sector.
Sarah Rummel Backer is the Director of Media Relations and Senior Writer at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri. A proud Westminster graduate, Sarah has more than 20 years of experience in marketing and strategic communications in the areas of higher education, medicine, agriculture, and the private business sector.
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