Kyle Bunch is a senior engineer at RAND. Specializing in technology and policy for national security, he recently returned from the Office of the Under Secretary for Research and Engineering (OUSD R&E), where he served as Acting Principal Director of Quantum Science. He co-chaired the Subcommittee on the Economic and Security Implications of Quantum Science (ESIX) under the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) and coordinated quantum technology development across the Department of Defense, the interagency, and with international partners. In recognition of his service in this role, he was awarded the Office of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Public Service in July of 2026.
Previously, Bunch was a Senior Science Advisor to the U.S. Department of State in arms control and counterterrorism and as a technical subject-matter expert in DARPA’s Microsystems Technology Office while with Booz Allen Hamilton. He also conducted research at Sandia National Laboratories and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
Bunch served as a science representative for the State Department on a White House OSTP subcommittee on Science and Technology for Countering Explosive Devices. His work countering the global IED threat earned him a Department of State Meritorious Honor Award.
Bunch is a Fulbright Scholar and Registered Professional Engineer. He holds Ph.D., D.E.E., and M.E. degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Utah and a B.S. in computer science and electrical engineering from the University of Colorado Boulder. He is a Lifetime Member of IEEE and has held several IEEE-USA and IEEE leadership roles.
Ph.D. in electrical engineering, University of Utah; M.E. in electrical engineering, University of Utah; B.S. in electrical engineering and computer science, University of Colorado at Boulder
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