Angela Cook

A headshot of Weapons Technologies Engineering Associate Program Director for Stockpile Systems and Defense Technologies Engineering Division Associate Division Leader for Stockpile Systems Angela Cook.

Angela Cook is Weapons Technologies Engineering Associate Program Director for Stockpile Systems and Defense Technologies Engineering Division Associate Division Leader for Stockpile Systems. In 2020, Angela was recognized as a Director’s Science and Technology Award recipient for her work on the NIF High Energy Density Science Campaign supporting the Life Extension Program team. Approximately twice per year, Angela’s team helms a joint test assembly that flies onboard an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which was successfully launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base to validate and verify the safety, security, effectiveness and readiness of the weapon system. Initially supporting target fabrication, Angela transitioned to a project engineering role, where she managed the execution of Strength, Equation of State, and Diffraction experiments, as well as the associated diagnostic and target development projects required to enable plutonium operations on the NIF.     

Angela has been at the Lab since graduating from Oregon State University (BS, Mechanical Engineering) and earned her M.S. at Stanford (Mechanical Engineering) and a Graduate Certificate in System Design & Management from MIT while working at LLNL. From 2008-2010, she worked off-site at the Pentagon as a Technical Advisor at Air Force Headquarters.  

A mother to two school-age children, Angela also enjoys gardening, reading, and learning new skills.