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Sara Plana, PhD

Biden-Harris Appointee | Special Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense

Sara Plana, PhD, is a former Biden-Harris appointee who served as Special Assistant for Defense Policy to the Deputy Secretary of Defense at the Office of the Secretary of Defense.2 She holds a PhD in Political Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government from Harvard University.3

Dr. Plana has an extensive background in national security, intelligence, and defense policy. Her career includes various roles:

  1. Senior Intelligence Assistant to the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security6
  2. Chief of Staff for the Director of Defense Intelligence for Operational Support & International Partnerships
  3. Postdoctoral fellow at Perry World House, University of Pennsylvania (2021-2022)36
  4. Predoctoral fellow at Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs35
  5. Volunteer for the Defense Agency Review Team during the Biden-Harris Transition6
  6. Summer Associate at the RAND Corporation
  7. Country analyst for the Department of Defense in Washington, DC1

Her research focuses on defense strategy, security cooperation, and conduct of warfare, with particular emphasis on proxy warfare, military organizations, and civil-military relations.36 Dr. Plana is also known for co-founding the Future Strategy Forum, an initiative aimed at bridging the gap between academia and policy in international security.56

As of February 2025, Dr. Plana is no longer serving as Special Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense, as indicated by her LinkedIn profile describing this role as "former".4

Highlights

May 17 · MIT News
Eleanor Freund receives Jeanne Guillemin Prize | MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology - MIT News
May 17 · MIT News
Eleanor Freund receives Jeanne Guillemin Prize | MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology - MIT News
Eleanor Freund receives Jeanne Guillemin Prize | MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology -
May 20 · cis.mit.edu
Sara Plana is the inaugural recipient of the Jeanne Guillemin Prize
Sara Plana is the inaugural recipient of the Jeanne Guillemin Prize
Mar 17 · tnsr.org
Book Review Roundtable: Understanding Proxy Warfare

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Sara Plana, PhD
Sara Plana, PhD, photo 1
Sara Plana, PhD, photo 2
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Location

United States