Marjory S. Blumenthal is a connector of people and ideas and a leader of multi-disciplinary collaborations. An expert in science and technology (S&T) policy and strategy, she has earned a reputation for objective analysis, cutting through hype, respectful engagement with opposing perspectives, clear explanations, and direct communication. Marjory enjoys finding middle ground on complex and contentious issues, mentoring colleagues, and building and working with professional networks. Her work has educated key stakeholders and led to policy change.
In a career spanning the public and private sectors, Marjory has developed, catalyzed, shaped, and managed over 100 projects addressing computing, communication, and other technologies. Her work explores economic and social impacts—from privacy and security to ethics and equity—of emerging technologies and their applications, building bases for actionable policy recommendations. It has also addressed the science of science, from the potential of community citizen science to the challenges of evaluating research and of promoting international collaboration in research.
Now dividing her time among advisory and analytical roles at FPF and elsewhere, she has previously built and run the Computer Science and Telecommunications Board at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; served as executive director of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy; developed and participated in programs and projects at RAND (where she continues as a senior policy researcher) and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; and promoted the sciences, international engagement, and innovation as an associate provost at Georgetown University.
Marjory did her undergraduate work at Brown University and her graduate work at Harvard University, both in interdisciplinary programs.