Daniel M. Gerstein is a senior policy researcher at RAND and professor of policy analysis at Pardee RAND Graduate School. Previously, he served at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as under secretary (acting) and deputy under secretary in the Science & Technology Directorate. He has extensive experience in security and defense while serving as a Senior Executive Service (SES) government civilian, in uniform, and in industry. He is also an adjunct professor at American University in Washington, D.C. In DHS S&T, he managed the directorate's $1-billion budget and spearheaded several cross-departmental efforts in big data, cybersecurity, and biodefense.
Gerstein began his professional career in the U.S. Army, serving on four continents, participating in combat, peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance, counterterrorism, and homeland security. Following retirement from active duty, he joined L-3 Corporation as vice president for Homeland Security Services. Before joining DHS, Gerstein was the principal director for Countering WMD in OSD (Policy). He also served on the Holbrooke Delegation that negotiated the peace settlement in Bosnia, established SOUTHCOM's cybersecurity facility following 9/11, developed a biosurveillance system for DoD, and led the Army's most comprehensive restructuring since WWII.
He has received many foreign, military, and civilian awards, including the U.S. Army Soldiers Medal for heroism. He has published numerous books and articles on national security topics and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Gerstein graduated from West Point and has a Ph.D. from George Mason University and master's degrees from Georgia Tech, National Defense University, and Army Command & General Staff College.
Selected Publications
Daniel M. Gerstein, Tech Wars: Transforming U.S. Technology Development, Praeger, 2022
Daniel M. Gerstein and Perry Smith, Assignment Pentagon (5th Edition), , 2020
Daniel M. Gerstein, The Story of Technology: How We Got Here and What the Future Holds, Prometheus Books (Rowman and Littlefield), 2019
Daniel M. Gerstein, National Security and Arms Control in the Age of Biotechnology: The Biological Weapons Convention, Rowman and Littlefield, 2013
Daniel M. Gerstein, Bioterror in the 21st Century, Naval Institute Press, 2009
Daniel M. Gerstein and Perry Smith, Assignment Pentagon, Potomac Books, 2007
Daniel M. Gerstein, Leading at the Speed of Light, Potgomac Books, 2006
Daniel M. Gerstein, Securing America’s Future: National Strategy in the Information Age, Praeger Security International, 2005