Researcher

Dr. Dennis K. McBride joins the Hume Center at Virginia Tech with 40 years of experience at the intersection of science, technology and public policy, including multiple levels of leadership in national security policy.  Dennis served as a Naval Aerospace Experimental Psychologist at six nationally prominent high tech RDT&E laboratories and headquarters – including as Program Manager at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Office of Naval Research, and the Naval Medical Research & Development Command.  McBride was awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal and the Legion of Merit among other decorations for his leadership in developing and transitioning technology to implementation.  Three of his subsequently commercialized technologies now account for over $30B per year in revenue globally.  Retiring at 20 years as Navy Captain, Dennis continued his career in academia, industry and government service, including a second tour at DARPA.

Post Navy retirement, McBride served as Executive Director, Institute for Simulation and Training and as professor, with joint appointments in colleges of engineering and arts & sciences at the University of Central Florida.  For ten years, Dennis was president of the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies, consulting corporately to Congress, the White House, and the judiciary on issues and priorities of national concern at the confluence of science, technology and public policy. He was Director (as Senior Executive) of the Center for Technology and National Security Policy at the National Defense University, and Assistant/Acting VP for Research at George Mason University.  Dennis has consulted widely for high tech R&D companies, ranging from start-up (e.g., Object Video, Icosystem, Krasnow Institute – as external professor) to legacy Defense and Intelligence R&D firms.

Since 2004, Professor McBride has developed and taught courses as adjunct professor at Georgetown University -GPPI/McCourt School of Public Policy (six distinct courses, including Defense & Foreign Policy; supervising over 50 advanced degree completions for the Army Joint Staff Internship Program), and in the Medical School (six courses), where he co-developed, and co-directed the master’s degree program in Science Policy and Advocacy.  Dennis served for five years as VP for Strategy and Innovation at Source America, a $2B/year, congressionally-designated central nonprofit agency, developing jobs for people with disabilities, nationally, under the Ability One Program (with active oversight from Departments of Defense, Justice, HHS, Labor, and Education).  Dr. McBride is Chief Strategy Officer and Senior Scientist for NeuroRx Pharmaceutical, a for-profit corporation focused on pre- and post-market development of suicidal depression medications as well as for FDA Phase 3 coronavirus therapeutics.

McBride’s formal academic training includes the B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in experimental psychology (the University of Georgia), MPA/M.S.P.A. in public administration, M.S. (Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California), and formal post-doctoral studies at the Institute of Management, London School of Economics, Designation from the Naval Aerospace Medical Institute, completion of Flight Test Engineering program, University of Tennessee Space Institute/Naval Test Pilot School, and recent completion of the advanced biostatistics program at the Institute for Statistics Education.  Dennis’ editorial responsibilities include serving as Editor-in-Chief for Review of Policy Research, co-Editor-in-Chief for the journal, Technology, and Editorial Board (currently) for the Journal of Regulatory Science.

Post Navy retirement, McBride served as Executive Director, Institute for Simulation and Training and as professor, with joint appointments in colleges of engineering and arts & sciences at the University of Central Florida. For ten years, Dennis was president of the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies, consulting corporately to Congress, the White House, and the judiciary on issues and priorities of national concern at the confluence of science, technology and public policy. He was Director (as Senior Executive) of the Center for Technology and National Security Policy at the National Defense University, and Assistant/Acting VP for Research at George Mason University. Dennis has consulted widely for high tech R&D companies, ranging from start-up (e.g., Object Video, Icosystem, Krasnow Institute – as external professor) to legacy Defense and Intelligence R&D firms.

Since 2004, Professor McBride has developed and taught courses as adjunct professor at Georgetown University -GPPI/McCourt School of Public Policy (six distinct courses, including Defense & Foreign Policy; supervising over 50 advanced degree completions for the Army Joint Staff Internship Program), and in the Medical School (six courses), where he co-developed, and co-directed the master’s degree program in Science Policy and Advocacy. Dennis served for five years as VP for Strategy and Innovation at Source America, a $2B/year, congressionally-designated central nonprofit agency, developing jobs for people with disabilities, nationally, under the Ability One Program (with active oversight from Departments of Defense, Justice, HHS, Labor, and Education). Dr. McBride is Chief Strategy Officer and Senior Scientist for NeuroRx Pharmaceutical, a for-profit corporation focused on pre- and post-market development of suicidal depression medications as well as for FDA Phase 3 coronavirus therapeutics.

McBride’s formal academic training includes the B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in experimental psychology (the University of Georgia), MPA/M.S.P.A. in public administration, M.S. (Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California), and formal post-doctoral studies at the Institute of Management, London School of Economics, Designation from the Naval Aerospace Medical Institute, completion of Flight Test Engineering program, University of Tennessee Space Institute/Naval Test Pilot School, and recent completion of the advanced biostatistics program at the Institute for Statistics Education. Dennis’ editorial responsibilities include serving as Editor-in-Chief for Review of Policy Research, co-Editor-in-Chief for the journal, Technology, and Editorial Board (currently) for the Journal of Regulatory Science.