Erin D. Dumbacher was a senior program officer for the Scientific and Technical Affairs program. She led projects to address cybersecurity and emerging technology challenges for nuclear weapons policy, nuclear facilities, and non-proliferation. In 2018, she led the Nuclear Security Index project to improve nuclear security globally. She joined NTI in 2017 as a program officer.
Dumbacher studied international and cyber security issues in 2010 through a Fulbright research fellowship in Tallinn, Estonia. She received a master’s degree in conflict management and international economics from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and a bachelor’s degree from the Elliott School of International Affairs at the George Washington University. She was a visiting student at Szkoła Główna Handlowa (Warsaw School of Economics) in Warsaw, Poland and at the Free and Humboldt Universities of Berlin, Germany. Erin also held positions on the Cyber and National Security team of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget and supported appropriations, national security policy, and public affairs for U.S. Congressman Cramer of Alabama’s 5th District.
Dumbacher is an experienced research and consulting program leader with expertise in management, operations, and technology transition. Prior to joining NTI, Dumbacher was a director at CEB (now Gartner), a research and advisory firm, where she led primary research studies to improve automation, Lean management adoption, talent, and organizational change initiatives. From 2007-2012, she served in corporate strategy and research management roles at Atlantic Media, supporting the digital transformation of The Atlantic and its sister publications and leading Government Executive Media Group’s first in-house research division.
Dumbacher is a Council on Foreign Relations term member, a member of Women in International Security, and an alumna of the Project on Nuclear Issues (PONI) Mid-Career Cadre. She is also a former Board Member of SAIS Global Women in Leadership. Her writing has been published by IEEE’s Computer, The Atlantic, National Journal, Government Executive, War on the Rocks, NextGov, the SAIS Review of International Affairs, and The Nonproliferation Review.