Staff

Corporate Officers

JennBuss

Dr. Jennifer Buss serves as the CEO of the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies. We develop meaningful science and technology policy options through discussions and forums and ensure their implementation at the intersection of business and government. She has extensive experience examining policy issues in support of NASA, and has been involved in their strategic planning processes for astronaut medical care and cancer diagnostics and therapeutics. She man­ag­es a vari­ety of OSD pro­grams includ­ing an out­reach effort for the Depart­ment of Defense to the start-up com­mu­nity across the coun­try to find inno­v­a­tive tech­nolo­gies to meet the chal­lenges faced by the Ser­vices and Gov­ern­ment agen­cies. Dr. Buss performs science and technology trends analysis and recommends policy solutions to some of the country’s most pervasive problems. She has also directed and assisted research on numerous government contracts, including systematic reviews and gap analyses. Dr. Buss is an authority in her scientific field with national recognition in her area of expertise. She is responsible for major projects requiring integration/coordination across multiple scientific disciplines.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Michael Swetnam, CEO Michael Swetnam assisted in founding the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies in 1994. Since its inception, he has served as Chairman of the Board and currently serves as the Institute's Chief Executive Officer.

He has authored and edited several books and articles including: "Al-Qa'ida: Ten Years After 9/11 and Beyond," co-authored with Yonah Alexander; "Cyber Terrorism and Information Warfare," a four volume set he co-edited; "Usama bin Laden's al-Qaida: Profile of a Terrorist Network," co-authored with Yonah Alexander; "ETA: Profile of a Terrorist Group," co-authored with Yonah Alexander and Herbert M. Levine; and "Best Available Science: Its Evolution, Taxonomy, and Application," co-authored with Dennis K. McBride, A. Alan Moghissi, Betty R. Love and Sorin R. Straja.

Mr. Swetnam is currently a member of the Technical Advisory Group to the United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. In this capacity, he provides expert advice to the U.S. Senate on the R&D investment strategy of the U.S. Intelligence Community. He also served on the Defense Science Board (DSB) Task Force on Counterterrorism and the Task Force on Intelligence Support to the War on Terrorism.

Carrie Zuckerman is a Research Assistant at the Institute. Prior to joining the Institute, Carrie received a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a minor in Astrophysics at U.C. Berkeley. During college, she contributed to astrophysics research focused on improving ground-based exoplanet imaging. She also previously served as a Science and Technology Policy Intern at the Potomac Institute where she researched solutions to the issue of space debris.

VTracyVictoria Tracy joins the Institute as both Receptionist and Executive Assistant to the CEO. Before joining the Institute, Victoria received a bachelor’s degree in Politics and minors in Intelligence Studies, Islamic World Studies, and History from the Catholic University of America. During college, she interned in both the House of Representatives and the Senate as a Legislative Intern as well as for a non-profit as a Communications and Events Intern. 

NGouldBefore joining the Institute as a Research Analyst, Dr. Nicole Gould earned her Bachelor of Science in Cellular, Molecular, and Physiological Biology from Christopher Newport University. She then earned her doctorate in Molecular Medicine from The University of Maryland, Baltimore where she investigated how bone cells respond to mechanical and hormonal stimulation. She then completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis where she conducted studies to better understand the essential biological processes that promote healing after bone fracture. 

Biggs

Lakishia Biggs is the Potomac Institute’s Education and Training Manager.  In this role she is responsible for the planning, development, coordination and administration of the Potomac Institute’s Education Program.  Prior to joining the Potomac Institute, Lakishia served as the Lower School Assistant Director at Norfolk Academy. In this role she worked with the Lower School administrative team to facilitate continued growth of and development of faculty by providing professional development and academic program leadership support. Lakishia also worked as a research teacher while at Norfolk Academy and brings years of educational and leadership experience from her various teaching positions to the Potomac Institute. She holds M.Ed. in Educational Administration, Planning, and Social Policy from Harvard Graduate School of Education and a B.A. in Psychology and Education from Mount Holyoke College.

 

 

JBlessingDr. Jason Blessing is a Research Analyst with the Potomac Institute. His expertise as a political scientist includes cyber conflict and strategy, the geopolitics of commercial surveillance software (“spyware”), and NATO. Prior to joining the Institute, Dr. Blessing has held affiliations with the American Enterprise Institute, the International Institute for Strategic Studies, the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), and the United States Institute of Peace. 

Dr. Blessing received his Ph.D. in Political Science from the Maxwell School of Citizenship & Public Affairs at Syracuse University. He also has a M.A. from Virginia Tech and a B.A. from the College of William & Mary. Before pursuing his doctorate, Dr. Blessing investigated fraud operations in the financial sector by leveraging technical compromise data, behavioral patterns, and regulatory expertise.

AGilletAbby Gillett is the Potomac Institute’s Director of Strategic Communications. In this role she is responsible for the development and implementation of the Potomac Institute’s internal and external communications strategies. Prior to joining Potomac Institute, Ms. Gillett served as the Senior Advisor for Strategic Communications to the Under Secretary of the Air Force and the Deputy Chief of Staff for Air Force Futures (A5/7). In this role she, developed integrated messaging for a new Air Force future force design and the concepts and capabilities to meet emerging national security challenges. Ms. Gillett has held a variety of positions across industry, think tanks and the U.S government, where her work enhanced organizational strategies and the communication surrounding them.

MWalkerMark Walker is a Research Analyst focused on emerging technologies policy and innovation strategy. At the Institute, he has been involved in providing S&T recommendations and technology analysis to government customers, including NASA and the Air Force. Mr. Walker has also engaged academic, industry, and government stakeholders to develop solutions for complex National Security issues. Mr. Walker earned a Master’s Degree in Materials Science & Engineering from Stanford University, and completed his undergraduate work at M.I.T. in Physics. 

flaviaIMG 3159Flavia Di Grazia joins PIPS as Special Assistant to the CEO. She brings years of experience from the business and restaurant worlds where she managed Human Resources, Payroll, Business Models and other facets of the industry, growing revenue and staff on the beautiful island of Kauai. A native of Brazil, Flavia speaks multiple languages and has international business experience as well. She will oversee the day-to-day needs for Dr. Buss and other members of the Board of Directors.

SMontgomerySteve Montgomery joins Potomac Institute as a Research Analyst. Mr. Montgomery completed a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering at Rowan University in 2013 and a Master of Science in Chemical Engineering at Auburn University in 2019. While at university, he conducted research on biopolymers, a modeling tool for the EPA, drug crystallization, transdermal drug delivery, and graphene catalysts for alternative fuels production. He most recently worked as an R&D Process Engineer for Danimer Scientific, a world leading biopolymer company producing biodegradable PHA plastic at a commercial scale.

alexAlex Taliesen is the Media Manager for the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies, responsible for graphic, video, and web content as well as publications.  He has a background in Set Design and painting for theater, as well as Graphic Arts and video production.  Mr. Taliesen has a BA in theater from Greensboro College, and a BS in Computer Animation from Fullsail University.

RLoewenRosalie Loewen works as a Research Economist for the Potomac Institute. Ms. Loewen has broad experience in economic and policy research and analysis with a focus on quantitative methodologies. In the research arena, Ms. Loewen’s experience includes work in British Columbia measuring and predicting the effects of new genomics technology uptake. Within the public sphere, Ms. Loewen was privileged to serve two overseas tours with the US government as a diplomatic officer. Ms. Loewen spent her early career in the private sector, in finance, as a mergers & acquisitions analyst with a focus on modelling net present value. Ms. Loewen holds a master’s degree in Economics from the University of British Columbia, a master’s degree in International Relations from Johns Hopkins’ SAIS, and graduated from Harvard College magna cum laude.

Herbert Hunter has worked as a Security Professional for over 25 years.   During his career in the area of security, he has performed various duties such as Personnel, Administrative support and Physical Security.   Mr. Hunter has also enjoyed the opportunity to travel overseas to countries including Japan, England and others, in support of government security missions.  He has supported a variety of government agencies including DARPA, NSA, CIA, and various branches of the military.

Joseph Parrish brings analysis and academic research skills to the Institute as a Research Associate. After graduating high school, he served as an Infantryman in the Marine Corps for over six years. After his military service, Joseph would earn a Bachelor of Science in Diplomacy & Military Studies from Hawaii Pacific University. While there, he worked as a research assistant, studying the history of US-Kurdish relations. He also studied counterterrorism and Islamic fundamentalism at the University of Haifa in Israel, where he participated in the 21st Century Peace & Conflict Seminar. Before joining the Institution, his most recent position was as a Research Analyst at Diligentiam LLC., where he researched, analyzed, and evaluated developing trends in the geopolitical sphere.

CPearsonCurtis Pearson joins the Potomac Institute following 30 years with Northrop Grumman where he served in a variety of roles in program and system development spanning a wide range of DOD and IC technology, missions, and systems.

His background includes strategic planning, mission and concept development, operational planning, technology planning and development, and mergers and acquisitions.  He retired from the Naval Reserves as a CDR (O-5) after 27 years of both Active and Reserve Service with expertise in Mine and Amphibious warfare, ship systems engineering and construction, and Military Sealift Command port operations.

He is a Life Member of the National Defense Industrial Association, a member of the Naval War College Foundation, and The Tailhook Association, as well as an active member in the Association of Old Crows, The Intelligence and National Security Alliance, and The Navy League. He previously served as the Chairman of the Board for the Southern Coalition for Advanced Transportation.

Curtis received his bachelor’s degree in Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy. He is a graduate of the U.S. Naval War College and completed the Darden Business School Executive Management Program.

Jrobertson1

Jonathan Christopher Roberson is a Research Associate in the S&T Policy Division. Jonathan earned his Juris Doctorate from Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He also holds a Master in Public Administration. Jonathan has worked on all three levels of American Government in policy. He first served as a Congressional Intern on Capitol Hill in the House of Representatives. He served as a legislative aide in both the Louisiana State Senate and Texas State Senate. Lastly, he also served a Mayoral Fellow in the local government of his hometown in Shreveport, Louisiana. Before to attending law school, Jonathan was a K-12 educator for 13 years. He earned his B.A. in English from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. Jonathan enjoys stand-up comedy, traveling, and writing.

MJackson21The Potomac Institute for Policy Studies is pleased to announce that Miriam Jackson has been promoted to the position of Assistant VP for Financial Management.  Ms. Jackson joined the Institute in October of 2007, as a Staff Accountant. She then acquired additional duties and responsibilities as a Contracts Administrator, in 2008.  In 2010, Ms. Jackson was honored as a recipient of a Potomac Institute Corporate Officers' Award for her outstanding service.  Prior to joining the Potomac Institute, Ms. Jackson was employed as a Staff Accountant in the Finance Departments of the National Heritage Foundation (NHF) and the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC).  She previously interned at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) in the office of the Chief of Budget.

Commenting on Ms. Jackson's promotion, Vice President for Financial Management and CFO Gail Clifford said,  "She is one of our greatest assets and an essential member of the Finance & Contracts division. Her professionalism and thirst for knowledge make it a pleasure to work with Miriam."


Regarding her new role at the Institute, Ms. Jackson said, "I am so appreciative and so very grateful for this opportunity. When I joined the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies, I knew I made a great career choice. I would like to thank our CFO, Gail Clifford, for her support and continuous guidance. I love working with everyone here, and I am very excited about many more years working together."

Ms. Jackson graduated from Bowie State University with a Bachelor of  Science degree in Business Administration – Information Systems. She is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Financial Management and Information Systems.    


Dana Shepard Director of Programs for the Potomac Institute. Prior to this role, she spent almost a decade working in nonprofits focused on areas such as social emotional learning, improving outcomes for at risk youth, and oceanic conservation. Her experience includes grant writing and management, research, strategic planning, process design and improvement, data analysis, and fundraising. Ms. Shepard previously interned at the Constituency for Africa and spent over a year studying and working in Cameroon.

Ms. Shepard received a master’s degree in public administration from the University of South Florida, where she was selected as a Presidential Management Fellowship finalist. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science from Dickinson College.

Robert Hummel

Dr. Robert Hummel Chief Scientist of the Potomac Institute in the CEO’s Office and is a member of the Center for Revolutionary Scientific Thought.  He is the author of the recent Potomac Institute book on “Alternative Futures for Corrosion and Degradation Research,” and is also serving customers in DARPA and OSD.  He is the principle author of the Institute’s forthcoming book on machine intelligence.  He is currently researching material sustainment of materiel that is subject to atomic degradation.

Prior to joining the Potomac Institute, he served as a program manager at DARPA for nearly nine years, managing and initiating projects in information exploitation, computer science, and sensor design.  Prior to joining DARPA, he was a tenured faculty member at NYU’s Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences in the Computer Science Department, where he did research in computer vision and artificial intelligence.  

Dr. Hummel’s PhD is from the University of Minnesota in mathematics, and he holds a B.A. from the University of Chicago, also in mathematics.

THuffardTrevor Huffard is a Research Associate. Trevor received his bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Santa Clara University and his Bachelor of Science in Commerce from the Levy School of Business. He formerly worked at Daversa Partners and is excited to begin in the world of science and technology policy.