Dr. Jennifer Vandersall

Dr. Jennifer Vandersall is a Short Term Fellow at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) Center for Global Security And Research (CGSR). Jennifer’s current interests lie in supporting U.S. national security and foreign policy decision makers with information regarding cross-border geopolitical flashpoints arising from the physical effects of climate change and climate effects straining country-level stability. Specifically, she is interested in the potential for conflict and/or cooperation among Indus River Basin countries Pakistan, India and China.

A leader of technical and intelligence analysis in LLNL’s Global Security Z Program since 2004, Jennifer assembled and led a multidisciplinary team of scientists that provided real time scientific support to U.S. policymakers during all stages of an international nuclear nonproliferation agreement while also helping set the strategic and technical directions of multi-laboratory and multi-agency efforts that address USG. Finished intelligence products co-authored by Jennifer have been briefed to senior officials, including the President and the Secretary of Energy, as well as international partners. Her honors include recognition by the White House, multiple National Intelligence and Department of Energy awards and a “2013 LLNL Excellence in Publication” award.

Prior to joining Z Program, Jennifer developed computer models and worked with experimentalists to the enhance material and chemical properties of biological, optical, and mechanical systems. Further, she was an adjunct physics instructor at Cal State Sonoma and Hayward Universities and served as the Deputy Director of the LLNL Chemistry Undergraduate Summer Institute in Applied Science.

Jennifer received a Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from the University of Virginia (UVA) while serving as a NASA Graduate Research Fellow at NASA Langley. She received a M.S. in materials science and engineering from UVA and a B.S. in physics from Allegheny College.