Bonnie L. Triezenberg

Photo of Bonnie 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

  • A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket lifts off from historic launch pad 39-A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, February 6, 2018, photo by Thom Baur/Reuters

    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

  • Cloud computing and lightning

    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

Multimedia