Adam D. WILLIAMS
Academic Background:
- 2012 - present • MIT, ESD: PhD student in Engineering Systems
- 2007 • Texas A&M University, George Bush School of Government and Public Service: Master of International Affairs
- 2004 • Texas A&M University, Dwight Look College of Engineering: BS in Mechanical Engineering
Work Experience:
- 2011 - Present • Sandia National Laboratories • Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
Senior R&D Systems Engineer, International Security Engineering Department:- Sandia project lead for NA-24's Gulf Nuclear Energy Infrastructure Institute (GNEII)
- Physical protection lead (and Sandia project lead) for NA-25's cooperation on the China Center of Excellence for Nuclear Security and Nonproliferation
- Research member for Sandia project on systems dynamics, resilience, and complex, adaptive, system of systems (CASoS) modeling of nonproliferation
- Policy analysis for Sandia's global security engagement, nuclear nonproliferation and international security projects.
- 2008 - 2011• Sandia National Laboratories • Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
Member of the Technical Staff, International Security Technical Systems Analyst- Vulnerability assessment and physical protection system design and analysis for NNSA/NA-25 and NA-21 international programs
- Project manager for NA-24's Gulf Nuclear Energy Infrastructure Institute (GNEII)
- Policy analysis for Sandia's global security engagement, nuclear nonproliferation and international security projects.
- 2007 - 2008 • Nuclear Security Science & Policy Institute • College Station, TX, USA
Temporary Research Assistant- Provided foundation research for the systems and risk analysis team of the Smuggled HEU Interdicting through Enhanced anaLysis and Dectectors (SHIELD) project (
Unknown macro: {link-window})
- Expanded the usability of NSSPI-07-051: Network Analysis of Nuclear Terrorism Pathways (
Unknown macro: {link-window}).
- Provided foundation research for the systems and risk analysis team of the Smuggled HEU Interdicting through Enhanced anaLysis and Dectectors (SHIELD) project (
- 2007 - 2008 • Scowcroft Institute of International Affairs • College Station, TX, USA
Temporary Research Associate- Research, fact-checking and writing for (and acknowledged in) Absher, M.K., M.C. Desch, and R. Popadiuk. (2012) Privileged and Confidential: The Secret History of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board. The University of Kentucky Press.
Research Domain:
Nuclear Nonproliferation & Security
Research Methodology:
Dynamics and Decision Analysis
Research Description:
Viewing the nuclear proliferation problem as such a “nonproliferation system” provides a useful mental map that illustrates how various networks (i.e., international organizations, domestic political decision-makers, nuclear technology expertise) and flows (i.e., the direction of international pressure, direction of command and control over nuclear assets, technology transfer) within the system affect system output. A nonproliferation system would identify, quantify, and evaluate the inherently large amount of uncertainty and the inter- and intra-relational dynamics of the associated sovereignty, political, and national security issues. If nonproliferation is defined as system, the unique role that governance and policy – both international and domestic – play suggests that they need to be considered not as system constraints but as primary components of the system itself.
Unknown macro: {link-window} Publications
Publications