Bonnie L. Triezenberg

Senior Engineer

Santa Monica Office

Education

Ph.D. in policy analysis, Pardee RAND Graduate School; M.S. in systems science, University of California-Los Angeles; B.S. in aerospace engineering, University of Michigan

Overview

Bonnie Triezenberg is a senior engineer at RAND. She received her Ph.D. in Policy Analysis in 2017 from the Pardee RAND graduate school. Her dissertation, “Deterring Space War” received the 2018 Richard E. Sherwood Memorial Award to recognize innovation and excellence in foreign affairs. Previously, she was one of 60 hand-selected Senior Technical Fellows at the Boeing Company, representing the highest technical rank in the company. With expertise in agile systems and software development, she contributed to the successful deployment of over 100 space based systems, acting as Chief Engineer in leading system and software development for a wide range of complex embedded and enterprise processing systems for weather, communication, navigation (GPS) and imaging spacecraft for both government and commercial customers. She is expert in software development and assurance of critical embedded autonomous and remotely controlled systems (spacecraft, UAVs, submarines, power plants, etc.).

At RAND, her focus is on policy issues in national security, science and technology. Her policy interests lie generally at the intersections of humans, information technology, and physical systems. She is fascinated by issues that touch on cyber security and safety for autonomous systems, privacy in an age of ubiquitous communication, and strategies for deterring the weaponization of outer space and cyberspace while maintaining readiness to defend both. As a woman in the tech industry for 40 years, she also enjoys researching issues of diversity and innovation and how the information age is shaping both.

Research Focus

Concurrent Non-RAND Positions

Adjunct Professor, Loyola Marymount University;

Recent Projects

Game Theory for Space Security
Heavy Lift Launch Market Assessment
Software Competency in the DoD Workforce
Assessing the Resilience of Military Satellite Communications
Digital Engineering in Weapons Systems

Selected Publications

Bonnie Triezenberg, Jason Ward, Jonathan Cham, Devon Hill, Sean Robson, Jeff Fourman, The Composition and Employment of Software Personnel in the U.S. Department of Defense, RAND Corporation (RR-A520-1), 2020

Bonnie Triezenberg, Krista Langeland, Bryce Downing, Space Competition and the Dynamics of Conflict, RAND Corporation (RR-A751-1), 2021 (forthcoming)

Commentary

Protecting the U.S. Supply on Heavy Lift Launch Vehicles
Our recent RAND report on the global heavy lift launch market highlights the potential for a near term shortage of launch vehicles needed to lift U.S. defense and intelligence satellites to orbit. These satellites are the eyes, ears, networks and timekeepers of U.S. armed services, and an inability to launch them in times of need could compromise national security.
May 6, 2020 The RAND Blog
Strong Winds Ahead for Cloud Computing: Can Data Localization Threaten Future Growth?
A growing number of constraints have been imposed around the world on information in the cloud, fueling concerns that the Internet, the economic engine of the information age, may become hopelessly fragmented.
Apr 29, 2016 The RAND Blog

Publications

Report
The Composition and Employment of Software Personnel in the U.S. Department of Defense: An Initial Analysis
The authors identify and characterize a subset of the U.S. Department of Defense's (DoD's) software workforce, the types of software developed within DoD, and the variety of methods DoD programs use when employing that workforce to develop software.
Dec 24, 2020
Report
RAND Space Launch Virtual Panel
A virtual panel discussion hosted by the RAND Space Enterprise Initiative tackles issues related to the global space launch enterprise.
Dec 8, 2020
Tool
Space Launch Market for Heavy Lift Vehicles: Charts and Data Set of Addressable Launches 2007–2018
This chart describes addressable launches of heavy lift vehicles from 2007-2018. The portion of the space launch market over which commercial firms compete is known as the addressable share.
Apr 28, 2020
Report
Assessing the Impact of U.S. Air Force National Security Space Launch Acquisition Decisions: An Independent Analysis of the Global Heavy Lift Launch Market
In this report, authors analyze the global heavy lift launch market to assess how decisions the U.S. Air Force might make in the near term could affect domestic launch providers and the market in general.
Apr 28, 2020
Report
Software Acquisition Workforce Initiative for the Department of Defense: Initial Competency Development and Preparation for Validation
To support U.S. Department of Defense goals to improve software acquisition, the authors develop a competency model, review training and education courses, and present options for tracking and managing the software acquisition workforce.
Mar 31, 2020
Report
Improving C2 and Situational Awareness for Operations in and Through the Information Environment
Every military activity has informational aspects, but the information environment (IE) is not well integrated into military planning, doctrine, or processes. Better understanding of the IE will improve command and control and situational awareness.
Nov 1, 2018
Research Brief
Requirements for Better C2 and Situational Awareness of the Information Environment
Every military activity has informational aspects, but the information environment (IE) is not well integrated into military planning, doctrine, or processes. Better understanding of the IE will improve command and control and situational awareness.
Nov 1, 2018
Report
Understanding Government Telework: An Examination of Research Literature and Practices from Government Agencies
This report provides an overview of the literature on telework, examines telework practices from across seven government agencies, and explains how government agencies benefit when employees engage in telework.
Apr 23, 2018
Dissertation
Deterring Space War: An Exploratory Analysis Incorporating Prospect Theory into a Game Theoretic Model of Space Warfare
This dissertation uses a game theoretic model of space war to examine how sentiments in multiple dimensions impact state decisions regarding whether to expand a ground war into the space domain.
Dec 21, 2017
Report
Sustaining the Army's Reserve Components as an Operational Force
This report identifies emerging policy lessons regarding the use of, and reforms to, the U.S. Army's Reserve Components (RCs) as an operational reserve derived from analyses of their contributions to recent contingency operations.
Jun 12, 2017
Report
Helping Law Enforcement Use Data from Mobile Applications: A Guide to the Prototype Mobile Information and Knowledge Ecosystem (MIKE) Tool
Mobile devices automatically and unobtrusively collect data about their users. This report documents a prototype tool created to help interested stakeholders better understand this mobile app ecosystem, and its use by law enforcement.
Apr 28, 2017
Draft
A Change is in the Air: Emerging Challenges for the Cloud Computing Industry
Offers an overview of recent regulatory trends in cloud computing around the world, assesses key regional differences and problems, and draws on expert interviews in charting the way forward for the industry.
Apr 7, 2016