Mara Karlin

Dr. Mara Karlin is Performing the Duties of Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy. She was sworn in as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans, and Capabilities in August 2021 and previously served as the Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs. In these roles, she has advised senior DoD leaders on a wide range of regional and national security, foreign policy, and defense issues. She previously served in national security roles for five U.S. secretaries of defense. Prior to joining the Biden-Harris Administration, Dr. Karlin was the Director of Strategic Studies at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).