Kiron Skinner, associate professor of social and decision sciences and director of the Center for International Relations and Politics at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, was named the director of the university’s new Institute for Strategic Analysis. The new institute will be involved with the university’s consultation services with U.S. defense, intelligence, and diplomatic officials. The emphasis of the effort will be revolve around the expertise of university faculty in areas such as computer science, cybersecurity, robotics, and communications.
Dr. Skinner states that “Carnegie Mellon isn’t entering into policy debates, but providing information on the basic science that underlies policy and determines what is possible and what is not. National security officials have become regular visitors to Carnegie Mellon because they appreciate the quality of our researchers and our ability to work across disciplines to solve complex, real-world problems.”
Dr. Skinner is a graduate of Spelman College in Atlanta. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in political science and international relations from Harvard University.