Katherine L. Kuzminski

Vice President of Studies

Research Areas

Katherine Kuzminski is the vice president of studies at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), where she serves on the executive team and sets the strategic direction for the Center’s research agenda, producing work that shapes national security policy and anticipates future challenges as well as developing the next generation of strategic thinkers and national security leaders.

In addition to her leadership role, Kuzminski leads the Center’s work on National Security Human Capital. Her research specializations include military recruitment, retention, and talent management; mobilization; Department of Defense institutional and organizational design and management; civil-military relations; and veteran and military family issues.

Kuzminski previously served as the director of studies, deputy director of studies, and the director of the Military, Veterans, and Society (MVS) Program at CNAS. She returned to CNAS from the RAND Corporation, where she was a political scientist researching military personnel policy. During her time at RAND, she led research teams examining officer personnel management, reserve component utilization, senior officer selection and development, military culture, and ground force capability development.

From 2013 to 2017, Kuzminski served as a research associate, Bacevich fellow, and fellow for the CNAS MVS Program. During this time, she led the Rebuilding the Bipartisan Defense Consensus Project, conducted research on the future of the all-volunteer force and civil-military relations, and developed the Veterans Data Project.

Kuzminski has testified before the congressionally mandated National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service. Her research and analysis have been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, BBC, NBC Nightly News, and CBS Evening News. She is completing a certificate in management excellence at Harvard Business School and earned a BS in military history and an MA in security studies from Kansas State University.