Michael J. Powers
Chemical and Biological Arms Control Institute
Research Associate
EDUCATION:
Master of Arts, National Security Studies, Georgetown University
Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, Political Science and Computer Science, Loyola
University Chicago
SUMMARY OF EXPERIENCE:
Mr. Powers has held industry and government positions focused on research,
development, and implementation of arms control, non-proliferation,
counterterrorism, and national security policy.
EXPERIENCE:
Since joining the Institute, Mr. Powers has directed institute projects entitled
“Information Warfare: What Role for Arms Control?” and “Deterring Terrorism with
Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Weapons.” He has also taken a leadership
position on a project entitled “Bioterrorism in the United States,” sponsored by the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. During the course of this project, Mr.
Powers assisted with research and development of a bioterrorism threat
assessment. Mr. Powers has also acted as the Institute’s chief information officer.
Prior to joining CBACI, Mr. Powers has held positions in both industry and
government in which he focused on arms control, nonproliferation, and national
security. Most recently, he was a Policy Analyst at the Boeing Company. In this
capacity, he took a lead role in a comprehensive study assessing the future of the
arms control and nonproliferation agenda and its implications for long range planing
of the U.S. Air Force. He also supported U.S. Air Force efforts to prepare for
implementation of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. This included development
and conduct of CTBT on-site inspection tabletop simulations and development of a
CTBT training program (including training material development).
In industry, Mr. Powers has also served with the Government Practice of
Defense Forecasts International, where he examined prospects for the Cooperative
Threat Reduction (CTR) program in the southern tier countries of the former Soviet
Union.
This provided Mr. Powers with the opportunity to co-develop a
comprehensive database cataloging nuclear, chemical, and nuclear infrastructure in
the southern tier countries of the former Soviet Union and assessing the proliferation
risk posed by that infrastructure. He also conducted research and analysis of U.S.
Air Force operations, including a specific analysis of reconnaissance missions.
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In government, Mr. Powers has worked in the U. S. Department of State’s
Office of Regional Non-Proliferation in the Bureau of Politico-Military Affairs. While at
State he was involved in coordinating U.S. government support for the United
Nations Special Commission and worked on programs addressing the proliferation
problem posed by the dissolution of the Soviet Union, as well as export control
issues. Among Mr. Powers’ responsibilities; he organized and chaired the bi-weekly
meetings of the Interagency Working Group coordinating US Government support to
UNSCOM; coordinated support requests and information exchanges between
various government agencies and UNSCOM, assisted implementation of a program
to provide vans specially equipped to detect nuclear materials to the customs
services of Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, and assisted review of project
proposals to the International Science and Technology Center in Moscow.
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