Colonel Randall Larsen, USAF (Ret), is the founding director of The Institute for Homeland Security and the national security advisor to the Center for Biosecurity of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

He was one of the first witnesses to testify before the 9-11 Commission, and since 9-11 he has served as an expert witness to the Senate Armed Services, Senate Judiciary, House Government Reform, House Homeland Security, and House Budget Committees. In March 2005, he designed and ran a two-day workshop and table top exercise for the House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security. He was a member of the 2003 Defense Science Board Study on Homeland Security, and he is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Larsen has been the homeland security consultant/on-camera analyst to CBS News since March 2003, and since January 2006 he has co-hosted the weekly, one-hour public radio show, Homeland Security: Inside and Out. His TV appearances include: CBS, NBC, and ABC evening news shows plus commentary on CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, BBC, NPR, Jim Lehrer News Hour, Fox News Channel, the O’Reilly Factor, Larry King Live and Oprah.

His articles have been published in the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, Business Week, and Ripon Forum. In 2007, US News & World Report, Congressional Quarterly and the Washington Times carried lengthy profiles on Larsen’s work and his new book, OUR OWN WORST ENEMY: Asking the Right Questions About Security to Protect You, Your family and America.

He has designed and led numerous war games and executive-level table top exercises including: DARK WINTER (bioterrorism, 2001), SILENT VECTOR (critical infrastructure, 2002), CRIMSON SKY (agro-terrorism, 2002), CRIMSON WINTER (food security, 2003), TERMINAL RISK (environmental terrorism, 2003), ATLANTIC STORM (international public health, 2005).

Since 1999, has been a featured speaker at the Joint Staff Anti-Terrorism/Force Protection Executive Course (24 times), the Reserve Component National Security Course (19 times), and a guest lecturer at the National Defense University (22 times), where he developed America’s first graduate course in homeland security in 1998. Other recent keynote speeches include: Environmental Protection Agency’s Senior Executive Service Annual Workshop, International Container Security Council, George H. W. Bush Presidential Library Lecture Series, Young Presidents Organization Regional Conference at Pebble Beech, Defense Credit Union Council, Oracle Client Appreciation Seminar, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s Symposium on Pandemic Flu for Corporate Executives, Council on Foreign Relations, Licensing Executive Society Annual Conference, 4th National Risk Management Symposium, Foreign Policy Association, American Society for Industrial Security, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Environmental Protection Agency Senior Scientist Workshop, McGraw-Hill Global Security Conference, Tufts University, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, International Institute of Strategic Studies, Royal Institute for International Affairs, Royal United Services Institute,  German Marshall Fund, Pittsburgh World Affairs Council,  Milwaukee World Affairs Council/ Kennan Forum, University of North Carolina/Triangle Institute,  Ohio State University/Mershon Center Lecture Series,  Kansas State University School of Agriculture,  Pacific Air Force Commanders’ Conference,  CATO Institute, Heritage Foundation, Iowa State University School of Agriculture, and Jane's Weapons of Mass Destruction Conference.