Michael Nacht

Michael Nacht is the Thomas and Alison Schneider Professor of Public Policy at the Goldman School of Public Policy, University of California, Berkeley. He previously served as Dean of the Goldman School (1998-2008) and held leadership roles in U.S. national security, including Assistant Secretary of Defense for Global Strategic Affairs (2009-2010). He chairs the Policy Focus Area for the Nuclear Science and Security Consortium and co-leads a Department of Defense Minerva Research Project on 'Deterring Complex Threats.'

• Education: B.S. and M.S. from New York University, Ph.D. in Political Science from Columbia University

His research focuses on U.S. national security, nuclear policy, international education, and complex organizational management. He co-authored influential books including Missing the Boat: The Failure to Internationalize American Higher Education and Abroad and Beyond: Patterns in American Overseas Education.

He received the Department of Defense’s highest civilian honor for his defense work and has advised on Berkeley's international strategy. His career spans academic leadership, government service, and interdisciplinary policy research.