Nunn School’s Kosal Joins NASEM Committee on Army’s Technological Preparedness

Posted January 9, 2025

Margaret E. Kosal, associate professor in Georgia Tech’s Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, has been appointed to a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) committee that will look for ways to help the U.S. Army contend with emerging threats.

The committee, Evaluating U.S. Army Core Competencies for the Future: Preventing Technological Surprise, is tasked with identifying gaps in the Army’s capabilities and preparing strategies to address new threats stemming from technological advancements.

In July 2024, another NASEM committee Kosal helped lead issued a consensus report on chemical terrorism and how the U.S. should respond as it shifts attention from violent terrorism to threats from China, Russia, and other state actors.

Kosal also recently served on an experts' group convened by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). OPCW is the implementing body for the Chemical Weapons Convention. The group met in October at the OPCW Center for Chemistry and Technology to develop recommendations for legislation to reduce the risks of chemical terrorism and proliferation. 

Kosal is a leading expert on the intersections of science, technology, and security policy. Her research focuses on preventing the misuse of emerging technologies, including chemical and biological agents, nanotechnology, and other advanced technologies.