Katy Christiansen is the Acting Laboratory Program Manager for Defense. In this role she is the primary point of contact for developing partnership activities with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). These agencies work with NREL to evaluate and implement resilient technology solutions and engage in collaborative research to develop emerging energy technologies as part of a multimillion-dollar pipeline. Katy has supported DoD energy programs in various capacities for the past 15 years, eight of those with NREL. Katy holds a Master of Science in Environmental Science and Policy from the Johns Hopkins University and Bachelor of Science degrees in Environmental Studies and Psychology for the University of Utah.