Katrina McDermott is a Master in Public Policy (MPP) candidate at the Yale Jackson School of Global Affairs, focusing on emerging technology and national security policy. After graduate school, she hopes to combine her hands-on technical experience with her newly acquired policy skills to develop innovative security strategies and deploy next-generation technologies that ensure innovation, safety, and resilience in today's rapidly evolving global environment.

Previously, Katrina served as a lead data scientist and program manager at the Department of Defense where she led cross-functional teams in developing AI technologies to provide decisionmakers and soldiers with timely, actionable insights. She also has helped to represent and empower the workforce and received several national security awards for her collaboration and innovation efforts. 

Katrina’s interest in her policy area began at the University of Pennsylvania, where she received a bachelor’s degree in international relations and minored in computer science, graduating summa cum laude. She also has conducted research on internet governance, military applications of AI, and the impact of Big Tech companies on national power in the U.S. and China.