Episode 38: Dr. Melissa Flagg of the Center for Security and Emerging Technology

Dr. Melissa Flagg is a Senior Fellow at the Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET) at Georgetown University. Previously she served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research, responsible for policy and oversight Defense Department science and technology programs including basic research through advanced technology development and the DoD laboratory enterprise. She has worked at the State Department, the Office of Naval Research, the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and the Army Research Laboratory.

Melissa also ran her own consulting business and was the Chief Technology Officer of a small consumer start-up. She has served on numerous boards including the National Academy of Sciences Air Force Studies Board and the Department of Commerce Emerging Technology Research Advisory Committee; she is on the Board of Humanity 2050 and a full trustee with the DC Chapter of the Awesome Foundation. She holds a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and a B.S. in Pharmacy.

In this OODAcast we ask Dr. Flagg about her approach to decision-making, her views on technology trends, and discuss the potential impact of a wide range of critically important subjects including:

• Artificial Intelligence
• Quantum Computing
• Biological Sciences

We also ask for her lessons learned on mental models relevant for decision making and explore her eclectic reading habits.

Additional Reading:

The Five Modes of HACKthink