It started with a single conference attendance as a graduate student in the 1980s. Now, Terry Benzel, Managing Director of USC’s Information Sciences Institute (ISI), has ascended to the vice presidency of the IEEE Computer Society, armed with a bold mission to combat shadowy “collusion rings” threatening academic integrity and forge unprecedented partnerships between industry strategists and university researchers.

The election victory represents more than a career milestone for the cybersecurity pioneer. It positions her to tackle what she calls one of the most pressing threats facing computer science today: sophisticated networks of researchers gaming the publication system through coordinated unethical practices that go far beyond traditional plagiarism.

Benzel, who has served on the IEEE Computer Society Board of Governors for five years, brings extensive leadership experience to the vice presidency. “I’ve really gotten to understand a lot about how the computer society works, what our committees are and our boards are,” Benzel said in a recent interview. “I have a lot to bring to the vice presidency where we can oversee multiple boards.”

Deep Roots in Computer Security

Benzel’s involvement with the IEEE Computer Society spans more than four decades, beginning with her attendance at the security and privacy conference as a graduate student. “I attended that conference right out of grad school and it was an opportunity to meet some of the real leaders in the community of security and privacy,” she recalled.

This early experience shaped her understanding of the Computer Society’s unique role in building professional communities. “Conferences and publications are absolutely core to what we do in the computer society,” she emphasized. “Conferences are where we build our community, where we share our technical insights, where our graduate students have a chance to present papers and to work with others in the community.”

Championing Ethics in Academic Publishing

A central goal of Benzel’s new role as Vice President of IEEE Computer Society is addressing ethical challenges in conferences and publications. Drawing on her experience serving on the IEEE Computer Society’s integrity committee and working with the broader community,  an emerging threat to academic integrity that goes beyond traditional plagiarism concerns has been identified.

“One of the topics I’m most interested in right now and that I really want to bring to my position as vice president is looking at ethics in Computer Society conferences and publications,” Benzel explained. “What we see in conferences is something called a collusion ring between organizers and reviewers. There are different kinds of ways that people are practicing unethical approaches to getting more papers published.” This is a pervasive threat across the community. The Computer Society will gather forces with other societies including the Computer Research Association and the ACM.

Benzel plans to tackle these challenges by establishing clear protocols for conference organizers. “We need clear guidelines and processes for our conference organizers to understand what they should do when confronted with an ethical issue,” she said.

Building Global Community

As Vice President, Benzel aims to strengthen the IEEE Computer Society’s international presence, recognizing that the organization serves a global membership. Her recent participation in the global chapter summit reinforced her commitment to international engagement.

“It’s very important to keep in mind that the IEEE Computer Society is a global organization and in fact many of our members are outside of the United States,” Benzel noted. “This year I participated in the global chapter summit for the first time and it was such an important opportunity to meet our members from throughout the world and understand what the benefits are that they get from being members.”

Fostering Cross-Sector Collaboration

Benzel envisions expanding the Computer Society’s reach by bringing together diverse communities that traditionally operate in silos. Her goal is to create meaningful collaboration between academics, industry professionals, and government stakeholders.

“I’m dedicated to finding a way to expand our conferences to have more representation from these different communities,” she said. “I want the strategic folks, the strategic advisors in industry, to be sitting at the table with our researchers so that we can develop the roadmap for the future of how we can tackle our problems.”

Mentorship and Member Services

Central to Benzel’s leadership philosophy is a commitment to mentorship and member support, particularly for young professionals and underrepresented groups. Her approach reflects both her personal experience and professional values.

“The human side of the computer society means almost as much to me as anything else that we do,” Benzel said. “What really excites me is I have the opportunity to work with our young professionals, to work with our students, to work with our global organizations and to sort of hearken back to what it was like for me when I was that age and to help them find a path.”
She emphasized the critical importance of responsive member services: “The last thing I want to hear is from a member who’s trying to do something or want something and they feel like they’re not getting their questions answered.”

A Vision for Technology and Humanity

Benzel’s platform reflects the IEEE Computer Society’s core mission while addressing contemporary challenges. “In the computer society we are about advancing technology for the benefit of humanity,” she concluded.

As Managing Director of USC’s Information Sciences Institute, Benzel leads research teams in cutting-edge cybersecurity, network security, and cyber experimentation methods. She was named an IEEE Fellow in 2024 “for leadership in establishing the field of cybersecurity experimentation” and is a founder of the GREPSEC Workshop for women in computer security research.

The IEEE Computer Society, with nearly 400,000 members worldwide, is the world’s leading organization for computing professionals, publishing peer-reviewed journals, organizing conferences, and setting industry standards.

Published on September 23rd, 2025

Last updated on September 23rd, 2025