Patrick S. Roberts

Patrick S. Roberts is a Senior Political Scientist at the RAND Corporation and a Professor of Policy Analysis at the RAND School of Public Policy. He is also an Associate Professor at Virginia Tech's School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) in Alexandria, Virginia. His work focuses on public management, governance, emergency management, homeland security, disaster risk, and artificial intelligence policy.

• Ph.D. in Government, University of Virginia
• Postdoctoral Fellow, Stanford University (Center for International Security and Cooperation)
• Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard University (Program on Constitutional Government)

Roberts’ research centers on improving decision-making under uncertainty, particularly in crisis and disaster contexts. His expertise spans emergency preparedness, disaster recovery, cybersecurity, national security, and AI governance. He emphasizes the importance of investing in mitigation and preparedness over reactive response. His scholarship bridges political science, public administration, and policy analysis, often drawing on historical and institutional insights.

His recent publications reflect a strong focus on reforming emergency management institutions, enhancing instructor development at the Emergency Management Institute, and shaping ethical and effective governance for artificial intelligence. Themes across his work include institutional resilience, collaborative governance, and the application of data science and machine learning to public sector challenges.

• Council on Foreign Relations Stanton International Affairs Fellowship
• Ghaemian Scholar-in-Residence, University of Heidelberg Center for American Studies
• Editorial Board, Risk, Hazards & Crisis in Public Policy

Roberts has advised the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation and has received research funding from the National Science Foundation, NOAA, FEMA, the U.S. Navy, and the Social Science Research Council. He is the author of Disasters and the American State: How Politicians, Bureaucrats, and the Public Prepare for the Unexpected (Cambridge, 2013). He actively contributes to public discourse through media commentary, podcasts, and policy briefs, particularly on AI ethics and emergency management reform.