Lisa McKinnon Munde

About

Lisa McKinnon Munde was previously a Veteran Fellow at the Hoover Institution 2022–23.

Lisa McKinnon Munde is a 2007 graduate of the US Naval Academy and holds an MA in Latin American studies from Stanford University. She currently serves as the director of plans, doctrine, and studies at Naval Special Warfare Command in Coronado, California. Her academic interests lie at the intersection of special operations, maritime security, and ocean governance—particularly regarding increasing influence operations by and strategic competition with China. Munde finds the maritime domain a fascinating lens through which to view larger political, economic, and military questions. Her recent research focuses on the global issue of illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing as a microcosm for better understanding the current challenges and opportunities of strategic competition. Munde also serves as the deputy editorial director for the Irregular Warfare Initiative, a joint effort between West Point’s Modern War Institute and Princeton’s Empirical Studies of Conflict Project. While on active duty as a naval intelligence officer, Munde served in a variety of assignments, including the Defense Attaché Office (US Embassy, Madrid, Spain), with an F/A-18 squadron (VFA-97) embarked aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, and with Naval Special Warfare Group One.