The United States Senate recently confirmed Indian American Radha Iyengar Plumb as the deputy under secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, by a vote of 68- 30. She had been nominated for the key pentagon position by President Joe Biden.
As chief of staff to the deputy secretary of defense since June 2022, Plumb has led policy processes including budget and policy reviews related to modernizing nuclear infrastructure and efforts to enhance energy sector security and resilience.
During her career shr has held several important roles in the department of defense, energy and the White House National Security Council. In the private sector she served various tech giants including as the director of research and insights for trust and safety at Google and has held the position as the global head of policy analysis at Facebook.
Additionally, Plumb has been an assistant professor at the London School of Economics. She completed her PhD in economics from Princeton University and has covered empirical evaluations of policies aimed at reducing violence, including criminal violence, sexual assault, terrorist behaviour, and sexual and intimate partner violence.
The Department of Defense revealed that she has served as lead author on several critical reports, including assessing the implications of open service for Transgender Service members and review of security and suitability screening efforts.
