Mara E. Karlin has served in a variety of policy positions in the U.S. Defense Department, including Levant Director and Special Assistant to the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy. As Levant Director, she was intimately involved in formulating U.S. policy on Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Israel-Palestinian affairs. In this position, she helped build the Lebanese Armed Forces, coordinate nascent defense relations between the U.S. and Lebanon, deepen U.S.-Jordanian defense cooperation, and expand security sector reform in the Palestinian arena. As Special Assistant to the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, Mara helped coordinate the Under Secretary’s workload and facilitated his efforts on hundreds of national security-related actions.  In connection with her work at the Pentagon, she received the Secretary of Defense Meritorious Civilian Service Award. She has met with many of the key defense and political leaders in the Middle East, has an ongoing interest in both security affairs and political development in the region, and has spent considerable time there.  Her writing has been published in various international publications.  

Mara is currently a Ph.D. candidate and Instructor in Strategic Studies at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). She also serves as an occasional consultant to the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Policy. She received her B.A. summa cum laude from Newcomb College, Tulane University, and her M.A. degree with distinction from Johns Hopkins SAIS in Middle East, Strategic Studies, and International Economics.