WINTER 2012
Welcome to Findings, the online newsletter for PRGS alumni. In this issue . . .
Message from the Dean
Around Campus
Five students publish papers ~ New team-taught course ~ Rich takes helm at RAND ~ more . . .
Catching Up with Alumni
Advising Louisiana's coastal planners ~ Helping Hawaii go green ~ New alumni, new jobs ~ more . . .
Events
L.A. Policy Symposium ~ D.C. Alumni Event ~ International Development Speakers ~ Commencement!
Did You Know?
Message from the Dean
It is with great sadness that I open this newsletter by noting the passing of our friend and colleague, James Q. Wilson, on March 2. Jim was a long-time member of the PRGS Board of Governors and had been battling a form of leukemia for nearly two years. He won many battles but the time came to lay down his sword.
In the past few weeks, much has been written — in publications ranging from the major newspapers, to the Economist, to Inside Criminal Justice — about Jim's extraordinary role in informing, influencing, and shaping public policy. We'd like to take particular note of his unwavering belief in the uniqueness and necessity of the Pardee RAND Graduate School and our graduates, as well as his willingness to serve as thoughtful advisor, outside reader, co-author, and mentor to the school’s community.
Jim's influence on academics and policymakers alike will continue through his enduring scholarship. I am pleased to announce that PRGS will be furthering Jim's legacy of ideas and ideals through the James Q. Wilson Dissertation Award and the James Q. Wilson Public Policy Collection in the RAND library, both of which we established shortly before his passing. Jim's friendship will, of course, be carried on in our hearts.
Susan Marquis
Dean
 Read more about Jim and his legacy at PRGS
Around Campus
Five Students Publish Papers
Jaycocks, Oguz Contribute to Idea Showcase
PRGS students Amber Jaycocks (cohort '08) and Mustafa Oguz (cohort '09) participated in the RAND-wide Idea Showcase in March. Oguz shared unique ideas on simulation software, while Jaycocks was on a team suggesting the development of automated quality management tools. The Idea Showcase is designed to highlight and promote the methodological and technological innovation of researchers at RAND.
 New Team-Taught Course in Social and Behavioral Sciences
The PRGS curriculum is constantly being reviewed and refined to be more relevant, better prepare our students for the job opportunities they will face upon graduation, and help us all reach our goal of "being the answer." To that end, this year we introduced a new, team-taught course that is required of all first year students, "Social and Behavioral Sciences I: Social and Behavioral Sciences Perspectives."
Read More
Rich Takes Helm as President of RAND
 In 2011, Michael D. Rich was selected president and chief executive officer of RAND. In an interview with RAND Review magazine, Rich talked about his new role and the future of RAND.
Read the Interview
Dean Marquis Leads RAND's Focus on Innovation
 PRGS plays an active role as an engine of innovation at RAND. In 2011, Dean Susan Marquis was named RAND’s vice president for emerging policy research and methods. In this capacity, she now oversees and integrates not just PRGS but also the activities of RAND's chief technology officer, the methods laboratory, the Pardee Center for Longer Range Global Policy and the Future Human Condition, and RAND's program of self-initiated research.
Catching Up with Alumni
 Raube Enlightens Students over Breakfast
Kristi Raube (cohort '87) visited PRGS on March 1 to have breakfast with several students and talk about her career path as a self-described "reluctant academic." The Office of Career Services encourages alumni to come back and share insights into their experiences since graduating from PRGS.
Read More
Our Newest Alumni
 Adam Gailey (cohort '07) completed his dissertation on "Planning for an Aging Nation: New Estimates to Inform Policy Analysis for Senior Health." He will be joining Charles River Associates in their Los Angeles office this summer as a senior associate.
 Jianhui Hu (cohort '05) completed her dissertation on "Old-age Disability in China: Implications for Long-Term Care Policies in the Coming Decades." She has a job with Henry Ford Health System as a research associate.
 Ryan Keefe (cohort '04) completed his dissertation on "Reconsidering California Transport Policies: Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions in an Uncertain Future." He is an operations research analyst at Volpe National Transportation Systems Center in Boston.
See All Dissertations
Groves and Fishbach Contribute to Louisiana Coastal Master Plan
 David Groves (cohort '01) and Jordan Fischbach (cohort '04) were key members of the RAND team that developed a hurricane flood risk model and a planning tool to assess Louisiana's coastal restoration projects.
Read More at rand.org
Griffin Leads Smart Grid Initiative in Hawaii
 Jay Griffin (cohort '04) heads the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute and is leading a "smart grid" pilot project with some Maui homeowners to reduce their electricity usage and costs. KHON2-TV interviewed him about the project.
Watch the Video (khon2.com)
 Arguden Publishes Book on Governance
Yilmaz Arguden (cohort '80), president of Arge Consulting in Turkey, recently published Keys to Governance: Strategic Leadership for Quality of Life.
Read More (hurriyetdailynews.com)
New Jobs!
-
Lindsay Daugherty (cohort '05) is an associate policy researcher in RAND's Santa Monica office.
-
David Maxwell-Jolly (cohort '77) is first chief operating officer of the California Health Benefit Exchange.
-
Amber Moreen (cohort '06) was appointed chief of staff to the Milwaukee County Executive.
-
Samantha Ravich (cohort '92 and member of the PRGS Board of Governors) is co-chair of the National Commission for Review of Research and Development Programs of the United States Intelligence Community.
-
Anna-Marie Vilamovska (cohort '05) was appointed Bulgaria's Secretary for Healthcare, Education and Science, by her country's new president.
Have You Completed the Alumni Survey?
The deadline for responding is April 3. If you have not received a survey, please contact Mike Andrulis at andrulis@rand.org or 310.393.0411, x6075.
Share Your News!
For even more news about these and others alumni, go to the new PRGS Alumni News page. You can also use the online form to submit your updates!
Events
April 13: 6th Annual Los Angeles Policy Symposium
Join us April 13 at the 6th Annual PRGS-UCLA-USC-Pepperdine Los Angeles Policy Symposium at RAND’s Santa Monica headquarters featuring keynote speaker Dr. Jonathan Fielding (Director, LA County Department of Public Health), student presentations, and panel discussions on Health, International Development, and Domestic Economic Development.
Read More
April 23: IDSS Presents Jared Diamond
Jared Diamond will be the guest speaker at the PRGS International Development Speaker Series on April 23; his topic is "The Fundamental Problems Facing Japan Today." Diamond is a professor of geography at the University of California at Los Angeles and the author of the best-selling Collapse, Guns, Germs and Steel, and The Third Chimpanzee.
Read More
May 1: PRGS Alumni and RAND Alumni Association Event
Save the date! RAND's Washington office will host a gathering of PRGS and RAND alumni on May 1 from 6 to 8 p.m. An invitation will be forthcoming in early April.
May 9: IDSS Presents Dean Karlan
Dean Karlan will be the guest speaker at the PRGS International Development Speaker Series on May 9, discussing microeconomic issues of public policies and poverty. Karlan is a professor of economics at Yale University, an affiliate of the Bureau for Research and Economic Analysis of Development (BREAD) and the president and founder of Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA).
Read More
 June 22-23: Commencement Weekend
All alumni are welcome and encouraged to join us for the celebration dinner and policy discussion on Friday night, and commencement on Saturday, featuring World Bank president Robert B. Zoellick. Special highlights this year will include the Inaugural Alumni Leadership Award and the debut of the official PRGS Academic Regalia!
Read More
View (and Order!) PRGS Regalia
Did You Know...
We Have a Facebook Page
Keep up with what's happening at the school and among your fellow alumni by choosing to "like us" on Facebook. Liking us and sharing our posts also helps to improve the reputation and visibility of the school.
PRGS Has a Private LinkedIn Group
Join, and use it for networking! We are working to expand our private network on LinkedIn by posting job opportunities and other discussions there. If you're on LinkedIn, search "groups" for "Pardee RAND Graduate School" and ask to join.
We Have a Career Services Mailing List
Additionally, if you are considering a career change or looking for your next opportunity, please sign up for our Career Bulletin by sending a message to prgscareers@prgs.edu.
We're Changing the Name of This Newsletter
Our Alumni newsletter clearly presents more than "findings" — what do you think it should be called? Send your ideas to (for now!) findings@prgs.edu.
|
