Kevin R. Gamache, Ph.D.

Associate Vice Chancellor and
Chief Research Security Officer
Director, RISC Institute

Zach Carwile

Associate Director
RISC Institute

Jason Whisenant

Outreach and Engagement
RISC Institute

Kevin R. Gamache, Ph.D.

Associate Vice Chancellor and Chief Research Security Officer
Director, RISC Institute

Dr. Kevin Gamache is the Associate Vice Chancellor, Chief Research Security Officer, and Director of the Research and Innovation Security and Competitiveness (RISC) Institute for The Texas A&M University System (A&M System). In this capacity, he is responsible for ensuring that the eleven universities and eight state agencies within the A&M System comply with U.S. Government requirements for protecting sensitive federal information. He manages the A&M System’s security relationships with the Department of Defense, Energy, and the Intelligence Community.

Dr. Gamache created the Academic Security and Counter Exploitation Program, an affinity group of security and compliance professionals at universities across the United States. He was instrumental in establishing an annual security conference explicitly focused on the unique challenges of maintaining an effective security program in the open environment of academia. His leadership role and efforts on behalf of the academic security community resulted in The Texas A&M University System’s industrial security program receiving the James S. Cogswell Award from the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) in 2015, 2020, 2023. and 2024. In 2017, 2019, and 2023, the A&M System received the DCSA Award for Excellence in Counterintelligence.

In 2023, Dr. Gamache established the Research and Innovation Security and Competitiveness (RISC) Institute within the A&M System. The RISC Institute develops partnerships with higher education institutions and diversifies the scope of innovative solutions by collaborating with industry and government research security expertise.

He is also the Director of NSF SECURE Analytics led by ed by Texas A&M University with support from the Hoover Institution and Parallax Advanced Research. NSF SECURE Analytics supports the assessment needs of the NSF SECURE Center and the broader research community by providing enhanced expertise in threat analyses, risk modeling, and data reporting.

Zach Carwile

Associate Director
RISC Institute

Zach Carwile serves as the Associate Director at The Texas A&M University System Research and Innovation Security and Competitiveness (RISC) Institute. The RISC Institute develops partnerships with higher education institutions and diversifies the scope of innovative solutions by collaborating with industry and government research security expertise. 
 
Prior to helping establish the RISC Institute in 2023, Zach served as the Deputy Chief Research Security Officer, primarily focused on the protection of the integrity of the A&M System research enterprise, including sensitive U.S. Government sponsored research. Zach retired from the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2021, after serving in the Dallas, Washington D.C., and Bryan/College Station areas.
 
Zach has committed his professional life in support of U.S. National Security interests for 30 years by serving in the U.S. Army and FBI. He has stayed on the cutting edge of threat intelligence to protect intellectual property, research, and facilities across the nation. He has developed trusted partnerships with leaders in academia, industry, and government to protect institutions and their valuable human, physical, and intellectual resources.