Cynthia R. Cook

Cynthia R. Cook is director of the Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group and a senior fellow in the Defense and Security Department at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. 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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In the News 8 of 72 results
Radio National Breakfast: Will a review of AUKUS deter defensive cooperation?
Cynthia R. Cook appearance on ABC — June 12, 2025
Command of the sea: can Trump make America build ships again?
Cynthia R. Cook cited in fDi Intelligence — April 10, 2025
Move fast, kill things: the tech startups trying to reinvent defence with Silicon Valley values
Cynthia R. Cook in The Guardian — March 29, 2025
Would You Buy a Fighter Jet From Donald Trump?
Cynthia R. Cook in New York Magazine — March 24, 2025
US Shipbuilders, A Shadow Of What They Were, Welcome Trump's Support
Cynthia R. Cook in AFP — March 8, 2025
US defence industry braced for tech shake-up under Trump
Cynthia R. Cook in Financial Times — January 16, 2025
Trump and Biden both claim diplomatic win in Gaza ceasefire deal
Cynthia R. Cook in Financial Times — January 16, 2025
Why China rivalry could fuel Donald Trump’s quest for cost-effective warships
Cynthia R. Cook in South China Morning Post — January 12, 2025
All Cynthia R. Cook Content
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Looking Forward: The Future of United States-Japan-Korea Trilateral Relations
Event — June 18, 2025
Identifying Pathways for U.S. Shipbuilding Cooperation with Northeast Asian Allies
Brief by Henry H. Carroll and Cynthia R. Cook — May 15, 2025
Collaborating for Resilience: Japanese and U.S. Industry Cooperation on MRO for USAF Systems
Event — March 13, 2025
Accelerating Australia’s Defense Capabilities and Enhancing Industrial Cooperation with the United States
Podcast Episode by Cynthia R. Cook and Charles Edel — March 12, 2025

Accelerating Australia’s Defense Capabilities and Enhancing Industrial Cooperation with the United States
Commentary by Cynthia R. Cook and Charles Edel — March 12, 2025
CSIS Report Launch: Enhancing Defense Industrial Cooperation Between Australia and the United States
Event — March 5, 2025
Enhancing Defense Industrial Cooperation Between Australia and the United States
Report by Cynthia R. Cook, Charles Edel, Kathryn Paik, Gregory Sanders, Henry H. Carroll, Katy Buda, and John Augé — March 3, 2025
Meeting DoD’s Innovation Challenge: Adapting and Scaling Cutting-Edge Technology to Enhance Modernization
Event — January 15, 2025
Managing Risk While Achieving Innovation: Lessons from the Collaborative Combat Aircraft with Hon. Andrew P. Hunter
Event — December 10, 2024
Alternative Funding Mechanisms in Review
Report by Erin L. Murphy, Cynthia R. Cook, Emily Harding, Gregory Sanders, Nicholas Velazquez, Julia Dickson, and Maeve Sockwell — November 21, 2024