Dr. Tonya E. Thornton is the Vice President for Research and Development with the Global Connective Center, where she serves as a scientific strategist and solutions integrator. In this role, she serves as a senior executive responsible for overseeing all aspects of the organization’s research and development activities, including strategic planning, managing teams of scientists, driving innovation, developing new products and technologies, and ensuring alignment with business goals, while staying abreast of emerging industry trends to maintain a competitive edge.

With over 20 years as a pracademic in the social, policy, and administrative sciences, Dr. Thornton is a DOD-recognized subject matter expert in critical infrastructure protection, emergency management, and community resiliency. She also serves on the public safety and grid security cluster for NIST’s Global Community Technology Challenge, a collaborative platform that brings together industry, academic, and local government stakeholders, seeking emerging technologies for smart cities and resilient communities.

As a scholar, Dr. Thornton’s has secured contracts from the AFRL, DOE, NHSTA, DHS, and FEMA. She has published more than 20 peer-reviewed journal articles, coauthored five book chapters, and coedited five research volumes. She has also presented more than 20 conference papers and 15 scientific reports. He upcoming co-authored edited volume The Routledge Handbook on Crisis, Polycrisis, and Public Administration will be released in spring 2025.

Dr. Thornton serves as Treasurer for the American Society for Public Administration’s Section on Emergency and Crisis Management She is also currently the program co-chair for the 2025 Southeast Conference for Public Administration and is an Associate Editor for Public Works Management and Policy.