Heather J. Williams

Heather J. Williams is the Associate Director of the International Security and Defense Policy Program at RAND, a Senior Policy Researcher, and a Professor of Policy Analysis at the RAND School of Public Policy. Her work centers on national and homeland security, intelligence policy, counterterrorism, and Middle East regional dynamics, with a particular focus on Iran and violent extremism.

• Associate Director, International Security and Defense Policy Program, RAND
• Senior Policy Researcher, RAND
• Professor of Policy Analysis, RAND School of Public Policy

Education:

• M.S. in Strategic Intelligence, National Intelligence University
• B.S. in U.S. Foreign Policy and National Security, Boston University
• Pat Roberts Intelligence Scholar

Her research spans intelligence analysis, domestic and international terrorism, online extremist ecosystems, and the psychological impacts of intelligence work. She has led studies on racially and ethnically motivated violent extremism (REMVE), foreign fighter recruitment, and the role of social media in radicalization. Her recent publications analyze Russian propaganda in the Ukraine war, truth decay in national security, and trauma in the intelligence and law enforcement communities. The body of her work reveals a strong trajectory in understanding how extremist narratives spread online and how U.S. policy can respond effectively while safeguarding civil liberties.

Scientific Contributions and Recognition:

• Testified before the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol on extremist use of online spaces.
• Regular media commentator on U.S.-Iran relations, counterterrorism, and intelligence matters.
• Contributor to high-impact RAND research on intelligence reform and national security policy.

Williams has extensive operational experience, having served as deputy and acting national intelligence officer for Iran at the National Intelligence Council, and in roles at the Defense Intelligence Agency, DHS/TSA, and the Special Operations Intelligence Center. She was a founding member of the Foreign Fighter Task Force and served three overseas tours supporting Special Operations Forces. She advises on policy and mentoring early-career researchers, though no formal students are listed. She has not received explicitly named awards in the text, but her influence is evident through policy engagement and expert commentary. She is affiliated with research teams focused on intelligence innovation, extremism, and national security resilience.