APEX 2026 Educational Forum

The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is pleased to announce APEX 2026, a new conference dedicated to advancing education, research, and professional development in the field of cognitive security.

APEX brings together students, educators, researchers, practitioners, and institutional partners to explore the challenges and opportunities associated with operations in the information environment. The conference will provide a forum for collaboration, shared learning, and the development of new ideas that strengthen our collective understanding of cognitive security and information-related competition.

The conference will feature:

• Undergraduate, graduate student and practitioner research paper presentations
• Discussions on the future of Cognitive Security professional certification
• Guest speakers and expert panels from government, academia, industry, and international partners
• Networking opportunities for students, faculty, practitioners, and institutions
• Working groups focused on advancing education and professional development in the information environment

The draft working agenda for APEX 2026 can be found here and at the bottom of this screen.

Selected finalists will have the opportunity to present their work before leaders, practitioners, and researchers from across the cognitive security community.

Whether you are a student seeking to showcase your research, an educator developing the next generation of information professionals, or a practitioner working to address emerging challenges in the information environment, APEX provides a unique opportunity to contribute to the future of the field.

Submission requirements are posted here. 

We encourage you to share this event with colleagues, students, and professional networks who may be interested in participating.

Together, we can help advance the education, research, and professional practice necessary to secure advantage in the cognitive dimension.

A link to register for the event will be provided after a review of your RSVP and any questions we send you to follow-up.  IPA requests you first register your interest in APEX via the RSVP link below.  A registration link will follow your RSVP.  Questions can be addressed to apex@information-professionals.org.

The RSVP indicates your interest and has no cost; if approved for registration there is a $120 fee covering the cost of two meals each day and a reception each evening of the event.

Draft working agenda:

Day 1

8:00 AM – 9:00 AM: Registration & Breakfast

9:00 AM – 09:30 AM: Opening Remarks

• Dave Acosta, IPA Board Member
• Dave Pitts, IPA President
• Video introduction by Dr. Glenn Boyce, Chancellor, University of Mississippi (Invited)

09:25 AM – 10:30 AM: Paper Presentations: Undergraduate/Graduate Category

10:30 AM – 10:50 PM: Coffee & Networking Break

10:50 AM – 12:00 PM: Panel 1: Future of Cognitive Warfare & Security

• Bonnie Rushing University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (Invited)
• Mr. Matthew Canham, Cognitive Security Institute (Invited)
• Dr. Chris Paul, Naval Postgraduate School (Invited)
• Dr. Martin Libicki (Invited)

12:00 PM – 1:15 PM: Lunch Break & Networking

1:20 PM – 2:20 PM: Paper Presentations: Open Category

2:20 PM – 2:40 PM: Break

2:40 PM – 3:40 PM: Panel 2: Synthetic Training Environment & Wargaming

• Mr. Joseph Kelly, University of Maryland, ARLIS (Invited)
• Mr. Mike Posey, Army War College (Invited)
• Mr. Jim McNieve, Marine Corps IO Center (Invited)

3:40 PM – 4:00 PM: Break

4:00 PM – 4:45 PM: Guest Speaker: Gen (ret) Frank McKenzie, President of The Citadel (Invited)

4:45 PM – 5:15 PM: Announcement of award winners (for papers), daily wrap-up & closing remarks

5:15 PM – 6:30 PM: Networking Reception

Day 2

8:00 AM – 9:00 AM: Registration & Breakfast

09:00 AM – 09:45 AM: Guest Speaker, Honorable Kristen Davies, DoW CIO (Invited)

10:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Workshop 1: Education Tasks in support of the Strategy for OIE

10:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Workshop 2: Drafting a Cognitive Security Certification Framework

12:00 PM – 1:20 PM: Lunch Break & Networking

1:20 PM – 2:30 PM: Workshop Wrap-ups

2:30 PM – 2:50 PM: Break

2:50 PM – 4:00 PM: Panel 3: Building Foundations with Collective Education

• Dr. Andrea Hickerson, Center for Information Advantage and Effectiveness, Ole
  Miss
• And More

4:10 PM – 4:45 PM: Conference wrap-up, Pinnacle 2027 announcement and Adjourn

4:45 PM – 6:30 PM: Networking Reception

As part of APEX 2026, IPA is launching a paper competition for undergraduate, graduate students and an open category for practitioners and researchers. We invite submissions addressing topics such as:

• Cognitive Security
• Cognitive Warfare
• Operations in the Information Environment
• Information Operations
• Information Warfare
• Foreign Influence and Malign Information Activities
• Political Warfare