Jessica Stewart

Jessica Stewart is the Director of the Strategy, Forces and Resources Division of the Systems and Analyses Center, an IDA-managed federally funded research and development center. She leads a staff of researchers who work on topics as diverse as nuclear weapons policy and strategy, organizational management and effectiveness, and force capability and force structure analyses.

Jessica has deep analytic expertise and strong leadership skills that have been honed over two decades of working directly with sponsors to help meet technical, operational and strategic challenges. Before joining IDA, she developed and led a portfolio of analytic work supporting combatant commands and the services as a mission area executive for National Security Analysis at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. Also at APL, she was the program area manager for Innovative Operational Concepts where she led cross- functional teams that addressed military posture and readiness, operations and technology issues.

Prior to joining APL, Jessica was a senior research scientist for the Center for Naval Analyses. At CNA, she directed projects and published research on military strategy and operations, emergency response and disaster preparedness, and efficiency and effectiveness measures. Jessica also has significant operational experience. She served as an embedded analyst with U.S. Naval Forces, Europe and Africa, and U.S. Sixth Fleet; U.S. Naval Forces, Middle East, and U.S. Fifth Fleet; and Commander, Operational Test and Evaluation Force. As an embedded field analyst with U.S. forces in the Middle East during Operation Iraqi Freedom, Jessica provided on-scene reconstruction and analysis of tactical operations for commanders.

Jessica has a law degree from Georgetown University and is a member of the Maryland State Bar Association. She also received a master’s in national security studies from Georgetown University and a bachelor’s in international affairs from the George Washington University.