Profile
Duane Blackburn helped establish and serves as the science & technology lead for MITRE’s Center for Data-Driven Policy, which brings objective, nonpartisan insights to government policymaking. The center leverages the data and insights gained from MITRE’s sponsored (primarily FFRDC-based) and independent projects to help guide the development of national-level policies and strategies so that they are evidence-based, actionable, and effective. He previously served in MITRE’s Office of the Chief Technology Officer, where he coordinated corporate-level transformational research, established the MITRE Challenge program, and enhanced the strategic approach of our independent research program.
Prior to joining MITRE, Mr. Blackburn was an Assistant Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), where he was responsible for the homeland security, law enforcement, and identity S&T portfolios for both the Bush and Obama administrations. He led the development and implementation of government-wide S&T strategies on a variety of subjects through the National Science and Technology Council, and influenced the conceptualization and oversight of national policies and federal systems throughout the formative stages of the nation’s homeland security enterprise. He is a longtime consensus-builder and mentor in the field of biometrics and identity, having led federal activities as the community matured into serving a foundational role in critical homeland and national security operations. Mr. Blackburn has also held R&D program manager positions in the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the National Institute of Justice, and the DoD’s Counterdrug Technology Development Program Office.
Mr. Blackburn holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in electrical engineering from Virginia Tech. He was a finalist for a 2002 Service to America Medal and established and led an interagency team that received the 2009 National Intelligence Certificate of Distinction. He was one of twelve individuals whose leadership approach was studied by the Partnership for Public Service to identify the critical attributes found within the nation’s highest-performing public servants.
He is a founding member of GAO’s Polaris Council, which advises their Science, Technology Assessment, and Analytics team on emerging issues facing the Congress and the Nation and is also a member and past chair of the advisory board for the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at Virginia Tech.
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