Lauren Woods

Guest Author

Lauren Woods (@LDWoods3) is the Director of the Security Assistance Monitor at the Center for International Policy, where she tracks, analyzes, and educates policymakers, media, scholars, and others about issues related to U.S. foreign security assistance. Previously, she was a Deputy Director of Programs at Strategic Capacity Group, where she oversaw U.S. Department of State-funded security sector reform programs across North and West Africa. Before that, Lauren served as a National Security Fellow through the Brookings Institution in the U.S. Senate. She worked at the Department of State from 2008 to 2015, serving in multiple bureaus and focusing on security and human rights, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa. Lauren received her M.A. in International Relations from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and her B.A. in Government from the University of Texas. She speaks Arabic and has lived in Egypt, Jordan, and Morocco.