Michelle Jacome

Michelle Jacome is an Operations Officer on International Finance Cooperation at the World Bank. She was formerly a researcher at START at the University of Maryland and the deputy director of the Unconventional Weapons and Technology Division. She was one of the key investigators for the START project on Transnational Criminal Organizations; Terrorism and Radiological or Nuclear Smuggling: Exploring a Potential Nexus in Central America and the Caribbean; and manager of the Radiological and Nuclear Adversary Futures Project.  She has carried out field research in regions of Latin America, more specifically in Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador and Panama.  She also has experience in the development of conceptual and forecasting models dealing with violent non-state actors.  Prior to her work at START, Jacome was part of the United Nations Development Program working on trafficking issues in the border areas of Ecuador and Colombia.  Her main interests include transnational criminal organization, trafficking and development issues, violent non-state actors and weapon proliferation.  She has published a variety of articles on border security issues between Colombia and Ecuador, labor rights issues and transnational criminal organizations.  She received her M.S. in development management from American University in Washington, D.C.