Cynthia R. Cook

Senior Fellow, Defense and Security Department
Cynthia Cook

Cynthia R. Cook is a senior fellow in the Defense and Security Department at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). She is widely published on defense acquisition policy and organization, the defense industrial base, new technology development, and weapon systems production and sustainment. Dr. Cook is a member of the editorial board for the Defense Acquisition Research Journal and is an adjunct professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. From 1997 to 2021, Dr. Cook worked as a senior management scientist at RAND, where she served as the director of the Acquisition and Technology Policy Center and managed a wide range of studies for components across the U.S. Department of Defense, along with the Australian Department of Defense and the UK Ministry of Defense. Previously, Dr. Cook was a research specialist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, working on the Lean Aerospace Initiative. Before her graduate studies, Dr. Cook worked in New York as an investment banker, specializing in high-yield finance. She holds a PhD in sociology from Harvard University and a BS in management from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

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Executive Education

Mapping the U.S. DOD Acquisition Ecosystem

Dive deep into the defense acquisition process and the defense industrial base with exclusive insights from CSIS experts in this dynamic one-day course.

Course Date: May 6, 2026
Registration Closes: April 27, 2026

Outlining the Challenges to U.S. Naval Shipbuilding

The U.S. naval shipbuilding enterprise struggles to produce ships at the scale and speed demanded despite being a bipartisan priority for successive administrations and Congress. The White House must tackle complex, longstanding challenges to improve shipbuilding capacity.

Report by Seamus P. Daniels, Henry H. Carroll, Cynthia R. Cook, Oliver Buntin, and Sarah O’Rourke — December 16, 2025

Putting the Industrial Base on a Wartime Footing

Putting the industrial base on a wartime footing will require strong leadership and consistent funding, with an investment in readiness for day one of any conflict, and the ability to maintain, repair, and replace the capabilities needed to prevail in any future fight. 

Commentary by Jerry McGinn and Cynthia R. Cook — December 5, 2025

Improving U.S. Cooperation with Allies and Partners

To make the most of its vast network of allies and partners, the United States must understand the barriers inhibiting U.S.-allied cooperation and devise ways to overcome them.

Report by Daniel Byman, Alexander Palmer, Audrey Aldisert, Henry H. Carroll, Cynthia R. Cook, Chris H. Park, and Seth G. Jones — October 14, 2025

Audio Briefs

Power Projection and the Logistics of Modern War

An audio version of “⁠Power Projection and the Logistics of Modern War⁠,” a new commentary by CSIS’s Cynthia R. Cook. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs. 

Podcast Episode by Cynthia R. Cook — September 16, 2025

Audio Briefs
Audio Briefs

Industrial Roadblocks: Producing at Scale and Adopting New Technologies

An audio version of “⁠Industrial Roadblocks: Producing at Scale and Adopting New Technologies⁠,” a new commentary by CSIS’s Cynthia R. Cook. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs. 

Podcast Episode by Cynthia R. Cook — September 16, 2025

Audio Briefs

Power Projection and the Logistics of Modern War

Logistics, including supply chains, industrial capacity, and transportation networks, will be contested in future wars. Deterrence and operational effectiveness depend on sustaining readiness through protracted conflict.

Commentary by Cynthia R. Cook — September 16, 2025

Audio Briefs

Overcoming the Barriers to Forward Deterrence

An audio version of “⁠Overcoming the Barriers to Forward Deterrence⁠,” a new Commentary by CSIS’s Cynthia R. Cook and Audrey Aldisert. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs. 

Podcast Episode by Cynthia R. Cook and Audrey Aldisert — July 1, 2025

Audio Briefs