Q&A: Lt. Col. Tom Kulisz (US Marine Corps), Hoover National Security Affairs Fellow

Members of the 2023–24 class of the Robert and Marion Oster National Security Affairs Fellows Program are participating in an interview series in which they discuss their career experience, how they plan to spend the academic year, and their mentoring of Stanford undergraduate students. They also reflect on leadership lessons they learned in service to the nation.

Today, we speak to Lt. Col. Thomas Kulisz, an intelligence officer in the US Marine Corps.

Why did you join the US Marine Corps?

My parents are both immigrants, so for me to be able to give back as a servant and protector of our way of life was an obvious choice for me. It’s a great honor to serve as a US Marine.

Will you tell us about your educational background?

In 2005, I graduated from the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and immediately began studies at Johns Hopkins University for an MS in computer science. Then in 2015 I was sent to the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, for an MS in information warfare systems engineering.

Will you tell us about your career arc?

Earning my commission in 2005 and completing follow-on training, I was designated as an intelligence officer. Since commissioning, I’ve moved over ten times, deployed overseas several times, and gotten to know thousands of some of the most wonderful people. Over my career, I’ve led teams ranging from five to 550 people and supported the US and its allies to be better informed so that our leaders can make their best decisions.

Will you tell us how you heard about the Hoover National Security Affairs Fellowship and how you hope to make the most out of this academic year?

Hoover is synonymous with excellence, freedom of thought, and serving as a global leader in informing policy, especially when it comes to advancing freedom. When afforded the opportunity to compete for the US Marines’ billet at the Institution, I knew this was where I wanted to be. The incredible fellows at the Institution are experts in their fields; sitting and learning from them is truly like standing on the shoulders of giants. What sets them apart from others is that I've never asked to have a discussion and heard that they were too busy. The National Security Affairs Fellows Program is as impactful as it is, both for our parent agencies and for Hoover, because we deliberately and unwaveringly invest in one another with our time.

Part of the National Security Affairs Fellows Program has been teaching and mentoring Stanford University undergraduate students. Would you tell us about your experience mentoring them?

One of the best parts about serving as a National Security Affairs Fellow is the opportunity to invest directly into a group of undergrads who know they want to do something bigger than themselves and are eager to learn about their opportunities. We meet weekly, and the discussions, questions, and deep intellectual thought that each of them brings with them make me feel very proud to serve as their mentor and also allow me to learn from their life experiences.

What does leadership mean to you?

Leadership is the ability to align efforts towards a common goal. The best leaders I’ve ever known are those people that can inspire and motivate others, share their vision, take feedback and incorporate it into plans, and do all of that while taking care of their greatest resource: the people.