Leslie Adrienne Payne is an adjunct senior political scientist at RAND. Payne has a combined background in social science, political science, and qualitative research methodologies. Her research includes leading a study on U.S. Coast Guard futures forecasting (currently), creating workforce efficiencies for public-facing institutions providing security, support, or aid to populations, such as FEMA and CISA, and security issues pertinent to the Department of War. She also recently briefed Congressional staffers on FEMA workforce challenges.
Payne has extensive experience conducting anthropological field research in austere, difficult, and dangerous environments and with marginalized and vulnerable populations. Prior to RAND, she was a deployed (civilian) anthropologist with the U.S. Army’s Human Terrain System (HTS), where she served two tours embedded with Army and U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) combat units in Iraq and Afghanistan. Accordingly, she earned the Army’s Achievement Medal for Civilian Service and the USMC’s Commendation for Meritorious Civilian Service (USMC). Payne began her professional career as an intelligence officer and military analyst with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), focusing on former Soviet Union states and West Africa.
Payne holds a Ph.D. in defence studies from King's College London, an M.A. in security policy studies from The George Washington University, an M.A. in international political theory from The New School for Social Research, and a B.A. in cultural anthropology from Howard University.
Ph.D. in defence studies, King's College London; M.A. in security policy studies, The George Washington University; M.A. in international political theory, The New School for Social Research; B.A. in cultural anthropology, Howard University
