The USC College of Information and Communications is pleased to announce the appointment of Clayton S. Jones, MS, as instructor and coordinator of the Master of Science in Information Security and Cyber Leadership program. Jones brings more than 25 years of national security, cybersecurity operations and leadership experience to the role.
"Clayton Jones represents exactly the kind of practitioner-educator that our cyber leadership program was built to attract," said Lyda Fontes McCartin, professor and graduate director of the cyber program.
A South Carolina native and U.S. Army veteran, Jones joins the CIC from Aperio Global, where he serves as chief technology officer and senior cyber advisor to United States Space Command. Most recently, he served as executive director of the $25 million Costa Rica National Cyber Defense Initiative through the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy, designing and delivering a comprehensive national cybersecurity training ecosystem spanning executive leadership development, policy frameworks and cyber operations training.
Jones holds a Master of Science in Cybersecurity and a Master's Level Certification in Digital Forensics and Cyber Law from the University of Maryland Global, and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Troy University.
As coordinator, Jones will integrate academic rigor with real-world operational insight, incorporating emerging areas such as AI-enabled defense planning, quantum-era threat modeling and international cyber strategy. His extensive network across the Department of Energy, the Navy's R&D community in Charleston, the FBI and congressional offices will expand internship pipelines, mentorship programs and career pathways for ISCL students.
CIC Dean Tom Reichert added that with Jones at the helm, the program is poised to expand its national profile in the years ahead.
"His combination of hands-on national security experience and commitment to student success will be instrumental in positioning this program as one of the premier cybersecurity leadership programs in the country," said Reichert.