Margaret E. Kosal

Along with her duties as Assistant Professor in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs at Georgia Institute of Technology, Margaret E. Kosal is currently the Co-Director of the Program on Emerging Technology and Security and the Director of the Program on Biological and Chemical Nonproliferation and Counterterrorism within the Center for International Strategy, Technology, and Policy (CISTP). Kosal's research explores two interrelated areas: reducing the threat of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) and understanding the role of emerging technologies for security.

Prior to joining Georgia Tech, Kosal was Science and Technology Advisor within the Office of the U.S. Secretary of Defense (OSD). She also served as the first liaison to the Biological and Chemical Defense Directorate at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA).

Kosal received her doctoral degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) working on biomimetic nano-structured materials and has lectured nationally and internationally on both technical and international security subjects. In 2000, Kosal co-founded a sensor company, where she led research on biological, chemical, and explosive detection and spearheaded efforts toward the real-world applications of the technology. Previously, Kosal has held positions at Stanford University's Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC), Northwestern University's Feinburg School of Medicine, the Monterey Institute of International Studies' (MIIS) Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS), and the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS). She has been recognized across the U.S. federal government for her leadership as part of the interagency Nonproliferation and Arms Control Technology Working Group, as DoD representative to the group charged with leading the National Nanotechnology Initiative, and in the NATO Nanotechnology for Defense Working Group. Dr. Kosal is the author of Nanotechnology for Chemical and Biological Defense (Springer Academic, 2009), which explores scenarios and strategies regarding the benefits and potential proliferation threats of nanotechnology and other emerging sciences for international security.

In her spare time, Kosal enjoys hiking, occasional backpacking trips to Colorado 14-ers, and is an avid skydiver with over 1000 jumps from aircraft ranging from helicopters to hot air balloons and jets.