As Deputy Director at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Marisa Cochrane Sullivan supervises the Iraq and Afghanistan Projects. Ms. Cochrane Sullivan also conducts research on Iraqi political dynamics, Shi’a militia groups, and the security envi­ronment in central and southern Iraq. Ms. Cochrane Sullivan has also authored numer­ous publications on these issues, including Balancing Maliki and The Fragmentation of the Sadrist Trend.

Ms. Cochrane Sullivan served as the Command Historian for Multi-National Force-Iraq in the first quarter of 2009, where she won a civilian service award for her research and writing on the implementation of the Status of Forces Agreement, Provincial Elections, and other major issues.

Ms. Cochrane Sullivan has appeared as commentator on Iraq-related issues for Voice of America, the Los Angeles Times, Fox News, and other media outlets. She also con­ducts frequent briefings for journalists and congressional staff in Washington, DC.

Ms. Cochrane Sullivan holds a Bachelor’s Degree in International Studies from Boston College, where she held a Presidential Scholarship and won the prestigious McCarthy Award for her scholarship in the Social Sciences. She has also studied at the London School of Economics and Political Science.