Innovation Hub Faculty Ambassador

Jeff Mustin

With a career spanning multiple sectors, Jeff Mustin is a seasoned professional at the intersection of real-world security experience and academic expertise.

Jeff's journey began as an F-16 pilot in the U.S. Air Force. He left the Air Force with a Senior Pilot rating and over 2,200 hours of flight time in high-performance jets, spanning three continents and numerous countries. Afterwards, he worked as a national security and cybersecurity policy expert for a major defense contractor, which allowed him to leverage the extensive experience after decades spent working on the strategic, operational, tactical, and legal aspects of national security, homeland security, cybersecurity, and aviation. Jeff also taught Cybersecurity Law and Policy at Texas Tech University's School of Law, and he is an alumnus of the Leadership Lubbock program.

Today, Jeff serves as an entrepreneur and strategist at CAS Labs, LLC, a strategy and innovation consulting firm. Founded in 2015, CAS Labs fuses real-world expertise with academic insight, setting a standard for excellence in the field. CAS Labs seeks to serve both the nation and the private sector in diverse and impactful ways by addressing complex challenges dealing with strategy, policy, innovation, and emerging technologies. He also teaches “Innovation and Entrepreneurship” at the Texas Tech University Honors College.

Jeff is a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy. Additionally, he holds three graduate degrees from Texas Tech and one graduate degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and he is currently working on his doctoral dissertation from Liberty University on national security innovation.

He is a member of the State Bar of Texas, and he formerly served on the American Bar Association's Standing Committee on Law and National Security. He currently sits on the Board of Directors at Reese Technology Center, and he is an advisor for the Texas Tech School of Law Center for Military Law and Policy.

He has published in Airpower Journal, the Journal for Biosafety, Biosecurity, and Biodefense Law, and Rutgers Law Review, and he has been an invited speaker at both Air University and the Air Force Academy. Jeff lives in Lubbock with his wife and two sons. He and both sons hold different levels of black belts in Tang Soo Do Karate. He is a proud supporter of Red Raider athletics and Lubbock Christian School. His friends don't call him Jeff; they call him “Bear.”