PNNL

Rustam (Russ) Goychayev is a team lead and a nonproliferation policy analyst in the Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Technologies group of the National Security Division at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). He oversees and contributes to a variety of projects in the nonproliferation field, such as International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards, data analytics, export controls, and cyber policy. Goychayev combines a blend of policy research and analysis expertise, coupled with his technical proficiency, enabling him to significantly enhance projects across PNNL. Goychayev excels at distilling complex technical concepts into comprehensible policy recommendations for leadership, making him an exceptionally effective project manager and subject matter expert, with a proven track record of managing and leading multidisciplinary teams on numerous projects with complex deliverables.

Goychayev is also a university lecturer, where he delivers a self-designed 400-level course on Weapons of Mass Destruction at the University of Washington, Jackson School of International Studies. The course bridges the gap between nuclear science, nonproliferation policy, and emerging hybrid threats.

Before joining PNNL, Goychayev worked as an international trade analyst at Microsoft, addressing trade and export control issues related to Russia and Iran sanctions. He has also held various roles within the Washington State Legislature and holds a master’s degree in international studies from the Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington. Goychayev is fluent in Russian and is passionate about the national security mission and public service.

• Data analysis
• Nuclear nonproliferation policy
• Cybersecurity policy
• Nuclear safeguards
• Export controls

• MA in international studies, University of Washington
• BA in political science, Western Washington University

• Institute of Nuclear Material Management

• National Security Directorate Outstanding Performance Award for outstanding contributions and collaboration to the Additional Protocol team, PNNL, 2019
• National Security Directorate Outstanding Performance Award for outstanding contributions and collaboration in promoting the next generation of nuclear safeguards and national security experts and commitment to the national security mission, PNNL, 2019
• National Security Directorate Outstanding Performance Award for outstanding contributions and collaboration to the IAEA inaugural international training course on protecting computer-based systems in nuclear security regimes, PNNL, 2018
• National Security Directorate Outstanding Performance Award for outstanding contributions and collaboration to the International Conference on Nuclear Security, PNNL, 2017
• National Security Directorate Outstanding Performance Award for outstanding contributions and collaboration to the Nuclear Suppliers Group, PNNL, 2016.

• Burke, Lee, Karl Pazdernik, Daniel Fortin, Benjamin Wilson, Rustam Goychayev, and John Mattingly. “NukeLM: Pre-Trained and Fine-Tuned Language Models for the Nuclear and Energy Domains.” arXiv, May 25, 2021. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2105.12192.
• Donnelly, DA, SL Clements, RA Weise, and R Goychayev. “A Technical and Policy Toolkit for Cyber Deterrence and Stability.” Journal of Information Warfare 18, no. 4 (2019): 53–69. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26894694.
• Goychayev, Rustam, Carr, Geoffrey A., Weise, Rachel A., Donnelly, David A., Clements, Samuel L., Benz, Jacob M., Rodda, Kabrena E., Bartholomew, Rachel A., McKinnon, Archibald D., and Andres, Richard B. 2017. "Cyber Deterrence and Stability." United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/1405058. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1405058.
• Goychayev, Rustam. 2016. “On International Cooperation in Nuclear and Cyber Security.” Peace Review 28 (2): 220–29. doi:10.1080/10402659.2016.1166760.