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

Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD, or DOD) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government charged with coordinating and supervising the six U.S. armed services: the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Space Force, ...

, 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 in the U.S. state of Connecticut and the List of cities in New England by population, fifth-most populous city in New England, with a population of 148,654 in 2020. Loc ...

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

Mount Holyoke College Mount Holyoke College is a Private college, private Women's colleges in the United States, women's Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in South Hadley, Massachusetts, United States. It is the oldest member of the h ...

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

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

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

Central Intelligence Agency The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA; ) is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States tasked with advancing national security through collecting and analyzing intelligence from around the world and ...

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 former politician and businessman who served as the 46th vice president of the United States from 2001 to 2009 under President George W. Bush. He has been called vice presidency o ...

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,

Laura Holgate Laura Susan Hayes Holgate (born 1965) is an American diplomat who served as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations International Organizations in Vienna, United States ambassador to the United Nations International Organizations in Vie ...

, Jane Wales 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 who served as the 11th United States Homeland Security Advisor in the Biden administration from 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 and USAID. Similar versions of the same award existed for the former U.S. Information Agency and Arms Control and Disarmament Agency. It is presented in recogniti ...

* 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