A skilled policy researcher with an extensive experience in trust and safety matters, Radha Iyengar Plumb is the latest addition to the list of Indian Americans to be named for key positions in the Biden administration

FREMONT, CA: US President Joe Biden has nominated Radha Iyengar Plumb to serve as Deputy Under-Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment. She became the latest Indian-American to be nominated for an important post via her nomination. In less than 50 days, Biden announced via virtual conversation that he had nominated 55 Indian-Americans to key posts in his cabinet. The President also remarked how the country is taken over by Americans of Indian ancestry mentioning Vice President Kamala Harris, Swati Mohan, and Biden’s speechwriter Vinay Reddy. Plumb serves as deputy secretary of defense's chief of staff. Radha was previously Director of Research and Insights for Trust and Safety at Google, where she led teams of business analysts, data scientists, and technical researchers.

Plumb joined Google in February 2021, after spending a year as Chief of Staff to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen H Hicks. Plumb is an accomplished policy researcher with experience in trust and safety issues. Over the course of her career in government service, she played an monumental role in preventing sexual assaults, formulating budgets and policies related to nuclear and energy infrastructure security, and regulating counterterrorism initiatives in the Middle East and North Africa. Plumb also played a key role in analyzing stabilization operations in Afghanistan, where she served as a civilian undertaking measurement and evaluation work to support the Commander, ISAF's Counterinsurgency Advisory and Assistance Team.

Radha Iyengar Plumb earned her Bachelor of Science in Economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2002, and in 2006, she earned her Master of Science and then a Ph.D. in Economics from Princeton University in 2007. In 2011, Plumb was appointed Associate Professor (Lecturer) at the London School of Economics after completing her postdoctoral scholarship at Harvard.  Formerly, Plumb worked for the US Department of Defense and the Department of Energy (DOE). Radha Iyengar spent time at Facebook as the Global Head of Policy Analysis, concentrating on high-risk, high-harm safety, and key international security concerns, among her many duties. Plumb worked as a senior economist at the RAND Corporation before moving to Silicon Valley, where she focused on enhancing the measurement and evaluation of preparedness and security activities throughout the Department of Defense.

Plumb was the lead author on several important papers during her time there, including one analyzing the consequences of open service for Transgender Service members and another reviewing security and suitability screening measures. The RAND Corporation released her book 'Availability of Family Violence Services for Military Service Members and Their Families' in January 2020. She is a well-known advocate for gender equality and violence prevention.