Nadya T. Bliss

Executive Director of the Global Security Initiative

Nadya T. Bliss is a computer scientist with expertise in national security research and engineering, cybersecurity, graph algorithms, and disinformation. As the Executive Director of GSI, she leads ASU efforts to advance research, education, and other programming at the intersection of technology and national security. Prior to joining ASU, Bliss spent a decade at MIT Lincoln Laboratory. She is a Professor of Practice in ASU’s School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence.

Actively involved in national service, she currently chairs the Computing Community Consortium. Bliss also serves on multiple National Academies engagements, including: the Cyber Resilience Forum; Climate Security Roundtable; and a Standing Committee on Transformative Science and Technology for the Department of Defense. In July 2024, she was appointed as a member of the National Academies’ Army Research Laboratory Technical Assessment Board (ARLTAB) and as chair of its Panel on Assessment of Network, Cyber, and Computational Sciences. She is a past chair and current steering committee member of DARPA’s Information Science and Technology Study Group.

Nathan Evans

Senior Director

Nathan Evans oversees GSI’s daily operations and supports and advises the executive director. Prior to joining GSI in 2017, Nathan worked primarily in the international development and non-profit sectors. He was most recently the executive director of a non-profit organization. Prior to that, he served as a democracy and governance advisor in the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Middle East Bureau, and as office director for the National Democratic Institute’s (NDI) West Bank and Gaza programs. He has lived and worked in West Africa, the Middle East, and the Balkans. He holds a Master’s Degree in international relations from San Diego State University, and a Bachelor’s Degree in journalism from the University of New Hampshire.

Melissa Henriksen

Senior Director of Research Strategy

Dr. Melissa Henriksen is the Senior Director of Research Strategy in the Global Security Initiative, driving growth in the university’s defense and national security research portfolio. Prior to joining the GSI, Dr. Henriksen served as Senior Scientist for Biology Exploitation at the Defense Intelligence Agency.

With a Ph.D. in Biological Chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania and extensive experience across government, industry, and academia, Dr. Henriksen specializes in biodefense, scientific research and development, and strategic planning. She has also held leadership positions at the University of Virginia, including Director of Operations and Research Development at the National Security Policy Center.

Throughout her career, Dr. Henriksen has demonstrated a commitment to innovation, problem-solving, and advancing scientific research in both academic and national security contexts.