Chicago-based national security practitioner and security studies researcher Beth Windisch examines gender and national security, exploring how identity and power shape individual choices as well as collective institutions.

With over sixteen years of experience, she’s working to increase the representation of diverse voices in national security decision-making. “I look at who makes decisions—who has the power, who doesn’t—and why that matters. These facts don’t just shape how we solve a problem, they determine how we see and understand the problem itself.”

She began her career in Washington, D.C., where she spent years working on issues related to national security in the nation’s capital, before returning to the Midwest. With a passion for national security issues and public policy, Windisch was selected as an “Emerging Leader” by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and is a National Security Fellow with the Truman National Security Project.

Her unique perspective, informed by intersectionality, enhances her capacity to thoroughly consider issues and policy. “Critical thinking, with an intersectional approach, is a framework I come back to over and over: What are the policies we have in place? Why did we decide these are the answers? And whose voices have we not considered?” Bridging the gap between research and policy, she uses evidence to demonstrate how diversity and inclusivity foster a stronger, safer world for everyone.

Windisch’s commitment to community engagement extends to various teaching and mentorship roles. “I learned through trial and error as a first-generation college graduate, and I try to use my experience to help others.” She has assisted new and non-traditional students with improving their study habits and navigating the academic scene. Windisch serves serves as an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Security Studies at Sam Houston State University and is a frequent guest lecturer at institutions such as the Naval Postgraduate School. Her approach to “hacking grad school” is designed to help new researchers and professionals in executive education programs with strategies for time management, thesis writing, avoiding self-sabotage, and managing motivation.

Backing her belief that institutions require a broader range of perspectives, she spends her spare time as a mentor with Girl Security, an organization that encourages girls to become actively engaged in national security.

Beyond work, Windisch hosts the New Books in National Security podcast, providing a venue for scholars to discuss their research. She’s a certified project manager professional, an avid reader, and an active listener.