Institute of National Security
Supporting research, collaborative programming and education across disciplines to address the most pressing challenges to national security.
National security today transcends borders and battlefields. The speed of modern conflict continues to accelerate as threats such as cyberterrorism, disease, election meddling and drug addiction emerge from hostile, sometimes invisible, corners of the globe. To understand and defend against this new wave of technologically sophisticated, non-traditional combatants takes genuine partnership between academic researchers, government agencies, the military, and private industry. The Vanderbilt Institute of National Security draws on the university’s distinct record of user-inspired collaboration to create innovative solutions—and train future generations of leaders—to ensure our nation’s future safety and stability.
The Institute's Work
To achieve our objectives, the Vanderbilt Institute of National Security will focus on four primary initiatives.
The security landscape is evolving at an unprecedented pace and in unknown directions. To meet these challenges, it is imperative that we approach them in a highly interdisciplinary way.
Key Leadership
Founding Director
General Paul M. Nakasone (Ret.)
General Paul M. Nakasone, a retired U.S. Army four-star general, serves as the founding director of Vanderbilt University's Institute for National Security. He is also a distinguished research professor of engineering science and management and special adviser to the chancellor. From 2018 to 2024, Nakasone led the U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency, overseeing national cyber defense and global signals intelligence operations. A career military leader with more than three decades of experience, he has commanded at all levels, with deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, and has held key intelligence and joint staff roles. He currently sits on the board of OpenAI. A Minnesota native, he holds advanced degrees from USC, the National Defense Intelligence College and the U.S. Army War College.
Executive Director
Douglas Adams
Douglas Adams is the Daniel F. Flowers Professor of Engineering, Distinguished Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Vanderbilt University. He is a globally recognized expert in machine and materials resilience. Previously, he founded and co-directed the Vanderbilt Laboratory for Systems Integrity and Reliability (LASIR), a 20,000 square-foot facility that is uniquely equipped and staffed for observing how engineered systems behave in realistic settings.
Summit on Modern Conflict
Each year, the Vanderbilt Summit on Modern Conflict and Emerging Threats is a highly anticipated event where globally renowned leaders and experts from the military, intelligence, and technology sectors converge to address the most pressing national security challenges shaping our world.
This year’s theme, AI and the Future of National Security: Emerging Threats, Challenges, and Opportunities, will feature thought-provoking panel discussions and insights from distinguished experts exploring the evolving landscape of global national security.
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, will deliver the Opening Keynote virtually on April 10, 2025
