Kelly Atkinson (she/her) is a political scientist at RAND, and professor of policy analysis at the RAND School of Public Policy, working offsite in Florida. Her research interests include military workforce issues, international politics, and human security. She has published peer-reviewed academic research on gender and conflict, refugees and development, women in the military, extremism in the military, and Women Peace and Security policy.
Atkinson is an Air Force Reserve officer and previously served fifteen years as an active duty Air Force intelligence officer, including assignments as Commander of the Air Force's human intelligence unit in the Pacific and as Assistant Professor of Political Science at the U.S. Air Force Academy. She is a Council on Foreign Relations Term Member.
Atkinson earned her BA in Anthropology from the University of Virginia, MA in Strategic Intelligence Studies from American Military University, and MA and Ph.D. in Political Science and Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies from the Ohio State University.
Ph.D. in political science, Ohio State University; M.A. in political science, Ohio State University; M.A. in strategic intelligence, American Military University; B.A. in anthropology, University of Virginia
