Michael Dunaway is founder and CEO of the CIRRUS Group, a public benefit LLC dedicated to supporting communities in improving city services and operations, community resilience, and overall quality of life through the integration of digital technologies.
From 2001-2005, Dr. Dunaway led the smart cities program at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and currently serves as a Research Associate in digital twin applications within the IoT Infrastructure Group at NIST. Previously, he led research centers in advanced technologies and smart cities at the University of Cincinnati and University of Louisiana, where he served concurrently as Director of the Louisiana Business Emergency Operations Center. Previous positions included Director for Preparedness and Resilience Programs at the National Headquarters of the American Red Cross; Chief for Risk Management and lead for the Community Resilience program in the Science & Technology Directorate, U.S. Department of Homeland Security; and as a project manager in the Warfighter Protection Division of the Office of Naval Research.
A graduate of the United States Naval Academy, he is a veteran of the U.S. Navy, retiring from active duty at the rank of Captain. He holds an M.A. from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, and Ph.D. (Systems Engineering) from George Washington University.