Dr. Tonya Thornton is the Vice President for Research and Development, and Director for Critical Infrastructure Protection, with the Global Connective Center, where she serves as a scientific strategist and solutions integrator. Tonya is a subject matter expert for the Department of Defense in emergency management and critical infrastructure protection, with current projects focusing on energy security and assurance. As a scholar, Tonya’s research portfolio has included securing contracts from the Air Force Research Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, National Highway Safety Transportation Administration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Federal Emergency Management Agency. To date, her total research funding approximates $20 million. She has more than 20 peer-review publications and her recent co-authored edited volumes include The Routledge Handbook on Crisis, Polycrisis, and Public Administration (2025), Managing Challenges for the Flint Water Crisis (2021), and The Role of Law Enforcement in Emergency Management and Homeland Security (2021). Tonya is an Associate Editor for Public Works Management and Policy and currently serves as the program co-chair for the 2025 Southeast Conference for Public Administration. Tonya has a Doctor of Philosophy in Public Policy and Administration from Mississippi State University, with a background in political science and geosciences.