Sydney Knapp is a Research Associate with the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies where she has held multiple roles since 2022. She has coordinated the Washington Security and Defense Seminar, the Countering Malign Influence Workshop, and the Emerging Leaders Summit as well as contributed to courses on Caribbean security and defense, cyber policy development and artificial intelligence applications for defense, and well as strategy and defense policy. Her research focus includes critical minerals, particularly rare earth elements and the lithium triangle in Latin America.

Previously, Sydney interned as a Civilian Affairs Planner with the US Southern Command where she researched and wrote grant proposals for partner nations and designed operational response plans.

Sydney has an MA in International Administration with a concentration in security management from the University of Miami where she was a Division I swimmer.