Speakers

Dr. Niki C. Goerger currently serves as the Special Assistant to the Information Technology Laboratory Director at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) in Vicksburg, MS, with a focus in Modeling & Simulation, and Analysis. She began her career at ERDC at the then Mobility Systems Division in 1992. In addition to leading numerous research programs at ERDC, she has served as the ERDC Liaison and Research Associate at the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command Analysis Center (TRAC), Monterey, CA (2002 – 2004); the United States Military Academy, West Point, NY, (2004 – 2008); and the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Research and Technology (DASA(R&T)), Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology (ASA(ALT)) (2008-2012). While at ASA(ALT), Dr. Goerger served as the ERDC Liaison and held additional positions as the Acting Deputy Director for Research, Director for the Office of the Secretary of Defense’s (OSD) Deployable Force Protection Program, and Acting Director for the Innovation Enablers Science and Technology Portfolio. She has led and served on numerous OSD and Army working groups and panels, including lead for the Stand-Off Weapons Defeat Joint Integrated Product Team Unmanned Aerial Systems Threat Working Group and the Deployable Force Protection Technology Focus Team. In December 2012, Dr. Goerger returned to Vicksburg, MS to become the first ERDC Director for Business Development and subsequently stood up the ERDC Strategic Integration Office (SIO) which serves to help position ERDC for the future by focusing on enterprise strategy, strategic engagements and partnerships, and shaping strategic communications.  She served as the SIO Director from February 2018 to January 2020.

Dr. Goerger earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Engineering at Mississippi State University. She holds a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Engineering with a minor in Statistics from Mississippi State University and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Industrial Engineering from Texas A&M University with a focus in stochastic process. While at Texas A&M University, she was selected as a Westinghouse Manufacturing Fellow in Engineering.

Dr. Goerger’s awards include the Army’s Wilbur H. Payne Award for Excellence in Analysis; the ERDC Herbert D. Vogel Award for Outstanding Engineer; the Society for American Military Engineers’ Technology Advancement Medal; the International Society for Terrain-Vehicle Systems’ Sohne-Hata-Jurecak Award for Excellence in Research; ERDC R&D awards for Modeling & Simulation in Urban Operations, Deployable Force Protection, Transition of the High Performance Computing Modernization Program Office, and Program Development for Engineered Resilient Systems; and the Women of Color Career Achievement in Government. She received the Army Meritorious Civilian Service Award for meritorious performance of duty while serving in the Office of the DASA(R&T) and Superior Civilian Service Awards (1 each) from the United States Military Academy and TRAC for performance while serving with them. 

Dr. Goerger is a Fellow of the Military Operations Research Society (MORS) where she also serves as an Advisory Director for the MORS Board of Directors. She is a member of the Advisory Panel for the Texas A&M Center for Infrastructure Renewal.

Dr. Goerger is married to COL Simon R. Goerger, PhD, U.S. Army (ret.), who is a modeling and simulation professional in the commercial sector. They currently reside in Ridgeland, MS.