Guardrails for the Bots: Securing AI Agents in Higher Education

Thursday, October 01, 2026 | 2:15PM–3:00PM MT | Mile High Ballroom 3B, Lower Level
Session Type: Breakout Session
Delivery Format: Industry Insights Session
As higher education institutions move from AI experimentation to deployment, agentic systems introduce new risks across identity, data, and governance. This panel brings together university leaders to share practical strategies for securing AI agents at scale. Moderated by Corey Lee, Senior Security Specialist at Microsoft, the session explores approaches to identity and access, data auditability, and human oversight. Attendees will learn how frameworks like Zero Trust and privacy-by-design help institutions balance innovation with responsible, secure adoption.

Presenters

  • David Horton

    CIO, The Pennsylvania State University

  • Jay James

    Cybersecurity Operations Manager, Auburn University

  • Corey Lee

    Security CTO | US SLED, Microsoft Corporation

  • Leo Nelson

    AVP and Chief Information Security Officer, Villanova University