Entitled “Reacting To and Influencing Policy in High-Risk, High-Payoff Research within the Intelligence Community,” Dixon’s lecture touched on examples from IARPA's research. IARPA plays an essential role in the United States intelligence community as a funder of academic research across many technological and scientific disciplines. The organization also ensures their successful research projects are transferred over to relevant government agencies. 

Dixon highlighted policy questions to frame the discussion:

• What is the relationship between strategic intelligence and technology?
• What are the current trends in cutting edge intelligence-related research?
• Does public policy lag technological change?
• How can technology react to policy needs?
• Do researchers envision the need for future policy changes as a result of their research?

Dixon’s experience in technology policy has also allowed her to work across a broad spectrum of congressional and governmental agencies. Before being promoted from deputy director to director of IARPA, she served as deputy director of research of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and as chief of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs. In addition, she worked on the U.S. House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence staff, and as a Central Intelligence Agency officer for the National Reconnaissance Office’s Advanced Systems and Technology Directorate.

Dixon is also a Georgia Tech alum as she holds doctorate and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from The George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering. 

The School of Public Policy is a unit of the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.