Adam WILLIAMS

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 (
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  • Expanded the usability of NSSPI-07-051: Network Analysis of Nuclear Terrorism Pathways (
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• 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.

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Publications

Publications