Beth Windisch

Beth Windisch is a national security practitioner and researcher focused on preventing violence through strengthening human networks. Windisch began her career with the US Department of Homeland Security in 2008 and currently serves as the Regional Prevention Coordinator in Chicago for the Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3). At CP3, Windisch supports local efforts as she works with all levels of government, non-governmental organizations, and community members to develop and sustain frameworks to prevent terrorism and targeted violence.

Since 2017, Windisch has hosted a podcast interviewing authors about their latest national security research. Windisch also speaks about gender and national security as she explores how identity and power shape individual choices as well as collective institutions. Backing her belief that these institutions require a broader range of perspectives, she spends her spare time as a mentor with Girl Security, an organization that encourages girls to become actively engaged in national security.

Windisch earned a bachelor of arts degree from Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) and was a Boren Scholar at the American University in Cairo. She received a master's degree from National Defense University and a master's degree from the Naval Postgraduate School’s Center for Homeland Defense and Security, where her thesis research examined lone-actor terrorists, gender-based violence, and hegemonic masculinity. Bridging the gap between research and policy, Windisch uses evidence to demonstrate how diversity and inclusivity can foster a stronger, safer world for everyone.

Published on June 29, 2021