Mackenzie Harms
Mackenzie Harms is a research fellow managing scientific research and review for NCITE and co-leading the LEADIR research lab conducting interdisciplinary research for government partners and the scientific community. Harms is finishing her Ph.D. in industrial and organizational psychology and has worked on counterterrorism grants for the Department of Homeland Security, United States Strategic Command, National Strategic Research Institute, and the Defense Intelligence Agency, focusing on the leadership and organizational characteristics of violent extremist organizations that contribute to their effectiveness and malevolent innovation.
Harms was awarded the Nebraska Board of Regents Doctoral Presidential Fellowship for her cross-disciplinary work on creativity, cognitive psychology, counterterrorism, and leadership. In addition to her academic research, Harms has extensive experience in labor economics in both the education and federal aviation sectors.
Before joining NCITE, Harms worked in industry for six years leading talent development, succession planning, enterprise restructuring, leadership assessments, and enterprise career pathing. Since joining NCITE, Harms has combined her academic and industry experience to lead initiatives that promote broader engagement between the scientific research at NCITE and U.S. government stakeholders. Notably, Harms is leading a new white paper series that engages top academic experts globally in critical topics facing homeland security.
