Dr. James Patterson
Director, PLIANT INSTITUTE
Dr. James Patterson is the founding Director of the PLIANT Institute, where he oversees all research operations, manages partner relationships with government and corporate stakeholders, and serves as the primary liaison to PLIANT's independent board of directors. He has spent two decades bridging the gap between academic research and operational policy in critical infrastructure security and logistics resilience.
Before founding PLIANT, Dr. Patterson served as a senior advisor to the Department of Homeland Security's Supply Chain Risk Management Task Force and consulted for several Fortune 500 logistics companies on vulnerability assessment frameworks. He is the driving force behind the Atlas Intelligence Database, which he considers PLIANT's most significant contribution to the field.
Dr. Patterson holds a PhD in Operations Research from MIT, an MS in Industrial Engineering from Georgia Tech, and a BS in Systems Engineering from the University of Virginia. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a frequent speaker at RSA Conference, DEF CON, and the Aspen Security Forum.
Research Areas
Dr. Patterson's research focuses on the systemic vulnerabilities of global infrastructure and the development of predictive frameworks for resilience.
Critical Infrastructure Security
Supply Chain Risk Management
Public-Private Intelligence Sharing
Logistics Resilience
National Security Policy
Selected Publications
Dr. Patterson's current focus involves bridging academic vulnerability assessments with operational national security policy. Below are highlights of his latest and forthcoming work.
Contact
Inquiries related to Dr. Patterson's research and institutional roles can be directed via PLIANT's main contact channels. The Director's office maintains strict oversight of research operations and partner engagement.
Office of the Director
By appointment only.