Susan Jane Koch (born January 24, 1943) is an American nuclear reduction expert. She has five medals from the

Department of Defense Department of Defence or Department of Defense may refer to: Current departments of defence * Department of Defence (Australia) * Department of National Defence (Canada) * Department of Defence (Ireland) * Department of National Defense (Philippin ...

, a Presidential Meritorious Executive Award and she was one of five people who were given inaugural Department of Defense Nunn-Lugar Trailblazer Awards in 2016.

Life

Born in

Bridgeport, Connecticut Bridgeport is the List of municipalities in Connecticut, most populous city and a major port in the U.S. state of Connecticut. With a population of 148,654 in 2020, it is also the List of cities by population in New England, fifth-most populous ...

, Koch gained a B.A. degree in 1964 at

Mount Holyoke College Mount Holyoke College is a private liberal arts women's college in South Hadley, Massachusetts. It is the oldest member of the historic Seven Sisters colleges, a group of elite historically women's colleges in the Northeastern United States. ...

before she took an M.A. degree in 1968 and doctorate in 1971 at

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

in Political Science. Koch first worked for the government at the

Central Intelligence Agency The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...

where she looked at West European politics. In 1982 she took up senior positions in government which she held until 2007. She became an expert in arms reduction and non proliferation. In 2012 she wrote a report on the American nuclear initiatives in 1991-1992. This was a historic year as in September 1991 the American strategic bombers that had stood fuelled and crewed since 1957 stood down.

Dick Cheney Richard Bruce Cheney ( ; born January 30, 1941) is an American politician and businessman who served as the 46th vice president of the United States from 2001 to 2009 under President George W. Bush. He is currently the oldest living former U ...

had signed an order that allowed the bombers to stand down from that state of readiness. They did not resume. In 2016 she was one of five people who were given inaugural Department of Defense Nunn-Lugar Trailblazer Award in 2016. The others were Dr.

Gloria Duffy Gloria Charmian Duffy (born September 4, 1953) is a former U.S. Department of Defense official, businesswoman, social entrepreneur and nonprofit executive. Since 1996, she has been the president, CEO and a member of the Board of Governors of the Co ...

Laura Holgate Laura S. H. Holgate is an American diplomat who has served as the United States ambassador to the United Nations International Organizations in Vienna since 2022 and previously from 2016 to 2017. She also served as United States ambassador to the ...

Jane Wales Jane Wales (born 1948) is an American non-profit executive and former US government official who has served on the boards of directors of and founded many institutions. She is the Vice President of the Aspen Institute, and was the CEO of the World ...

and

Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall Elizabeth D. Sherwood-Randall (born October 4, 1959) is an American national security and energy leader, public servant, educator, and author currently serving as the 11th United States Homeland Security Advisor to President Joe Biden since 2021 ...

(not in photo).

Publication

* ''The Presidential Nuclear Initiatives of 1991-1992'' CSWMD Case Study Series 5, September 2012. * ''Manage Proliferation Security Initiative: Origins and Evolution'' CSWMD Occasional Paper, No. 9, June 2012.

Awards

* Presidential Distinguished Executive Award * Presidential Meritorious Executive Award * Department of Defense Distinguished Civilian Service Medal (five times) * Department of Defense Nunn-Lugar Trailblazer Award * Arms Control and Disarmament Agency

Distinguished Honor Award The Distinguished Honor Award is an award of the United States Department of State. Similar versions of the same award exist for the former U.S. Information Agency, Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, and USAID. It is presented to groups or i ...

* Department of State Meritorious Honor Award

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Koch, Susan 1943 births Living people People from Bridgeport, Connecticut Mount Holyoke College alumni Harvard University alumni American women political scientists American political scientists Analysts of the Central Intelligence Agency George H. W. Bush administration personnel