Research Fellow, Center for the Study of Weapons of Mass Destruction, National Defense University
Board of Managers, National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC
Susan Koch, PhD, is a Distinguished Research Fellow at the Center for the Study of Weapons of Mass Destruction, National Defense University. She also holds an associate faculty position in the Department of Defense and Strategic Studies, Missouri State University, and is a senior scholar at the National Institute for Public Policy. Dr. Koch teaches graduate courses on weapons of mass destruction threat reduction and proliferation policy issues and conducts relevant studies and analyses.
Dr. Koch earned her PhD in Political Science from Harvard University in 1972. After teaching international and comparative politics at Mount Holyoke College and the University of Connecticut, she began her government career as an analyst at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) concentrating on West European political issues. After the CIA, Dr. Koch focused her work on weapons of mass destruction strategy, arms control, and proliferation policy.
From 1982 to 1990, Dr. Koch served in several positions in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, including Principal Director for Nuclear Forces and Arms Control Policy. From 1990 to 1991, Dr. Koch was Assistant Director of the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency for Strategic and Nuclear Forces, and from 1991 to 1993, Director for Defense Policy and Arms Control on the National Security Council Staff. From 1993 to 2001, she was Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Threat Reduction Policy, serving in 2000-2001 simultaneously as Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Strategy and Threat Reduction. From 2001 to 2005, she was Director for Proliferation Strategy on the National Security Council Staff. Her last government position was as Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security.
For her work on Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) strategy, arms control and proliferation policy, Dr. Koch received the Presidential Distinguished Executive and Meritorious Executive Awards.
Download biography (PDF)