Kelsey Hartigan

Deputy Director, Project on Nuclear Issues and Senior Fellow, International Security Program
Kelsey Hartigan

Kelsey Hartigan is the deputy director of the Project on Nuclear Issues (PONI) and a senior fellow with the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). In this role, she is responsible for managing the country’s preeminent national program for developing the next generation of nuclear experts. Prior to joining CSIS, Hartigan was dual-hatted as a faculty associate at the Naval Postgraduate School and a senior adviser to the director of the U.S. Special Operations Command Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate. From 2016 to 2019, she served as a policy adviser on North Korea, weapons of mass destruction crisis response planning, and nuclear proliferation in the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Policy. Before joining the Department of Defense, Hartigan was a senior program officer at the Nuclear Threat Initiative and a nonproliferation and defense analyst at the National Security Network. She has also held positions with the International Security and Nuclear Weapons Program at the Henry L. Stimson Center and the U.S. Department of State's Delegation to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, Switzerland. Hartigan holds an MA from Georgetown University's Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, where she focused on technology and national security, and a BA from Purdue University.
 

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Deter and Divide: Russia's Nuclear Rhetoric & Escalation Risks in Ukraine

Russia’s nuclear threats have underpinned each stage of the war in Ukraine as Putin attempts to deter and divide NATO support. However, if Russia faces battlefield setbacks, its nuclear threats could intensify, testing NATO's resolve.

Digital Report by Heather Williams Kelsey Hartigan Lachlan MacKenzie and Reja Younis — December 4, 2023

Project Atom 2023

How can the United States deter two peer competitors? To assist U.S. policy makers in addressing this question, the Project on Nuclear Issues (PONI) invited a group of experts to develop competing strategies for deterring Russia and China through 2035.

Report by Heather Williams Kelsey Hartigan Lachlan MacKenzie Robert Soofer Tom Karako Oriana Skylar Mastro Franklin Miller Leonor Tomero and Jon Wolfsthal — September 29, 2023

Capstone Conference

PONI will host its Capstone Conference at Offutt Air Force Base on June 15. Registration for the event is now closed

Event — June 15, 2023

POSTPONED: Navigating the Maritime Domain: A Conversation with Admiral Lisa Franchetti, Vice Chief of Naval Operations of the U.S. Navy

On Monday, June 5, 2023, Smart Women, Smart Power will host Admiral Lisa Franchetti, Vice Chief of Naval Operations of the U.S. Navy, for a virtual discussion on the U.S. Navy’s priorities as it upholds the international rules-based order and protects U.S. interests across the maritime domain, including in the Indo-Pacific and Europe.

Event — June 5, 2023

Press Briefing: Previewing AUKUS Leaders' Meeting

Amid reports about a forthcoming announcement on AUKUS, the CSIS will host a call-in press briefing  to discuss the significance of AUKUS, key considerations around the announcement, and what it means for the international security landscape moving forward.

Event — March 10, 2023

Press Briefing: Previewing AUKUS Leaders' Meeting

Amid reports about a forthcoming announcement on AUKUS, the CSIS hosted a call-in press briefing  to discuss the significance of AUKUS, key considerations around the announcement, and what it means for the international security landscape moving forward.

Transcript by Charles Edel Max Bergmann Emily Harding and Kelsey Hartigan — March 10, 2023

Future Steps for U.S.-ROK Extended Deterrence Consultations

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's trip to South Korea last week marked some forward progress, but there is more that can and should be done to shore up U.S. extended deterrence commitments and prepare for future proliferation scenarios. 

Commentary by Kelsey Hartigan — February 10, 2023

The Nuclear Posture in Review

Please join the CSIS Project on Nuclear Issues (PONI) for a conversation about the future of deterrence, arms control, and the creation of U.S. nuclear strategy.

Event — July 29, 2022