Alumni News & Events

  • “Follow What Feels Right to You”: Career Q&A with Jay Griffin

    James "Jay" Griffin has made his career in the field of energy policy and regulation, but it was almost a fluke that brought him to Pardee RAND. Now a senior fellow at Gridworks, a nonprofit organization working to decarbonize the U.S. economy, Griffin spoke with students Hye Min Park and Brian Wong about his career.

    Mar 1, 2023

  • From Civil Engineer to Decision Sciences Professor: Q&A with Alum Edmundo Molina-Pérez

    The career path of alum Edmundo Molina-Pérez (cohort ’14), a research associate professor at the School of Government and Public Transformation at Mexico’s Tecnológico de Monterrey, is a fantastic example of how fluid interests and experiences can lead to success.

    Feb 21, 2023

  • Fireside chat and reception featuring RAND President and CEO Jason Matheny, photo by Daniel Brubacker/RAND Corporation

    Fireside Chat Features RAND's New President

    Jason Matheny joined Dean Nancy Staudt to discuss his goals for RAND and how the graduate school is integral to RAND’s ongoing success.

    Oct 11, 2022

  • U.S. service members climb an obstacle at Camp Johnson, Vermont, July 23, 2021, photo by Calvin Reimold/U.S. Army Reserve Command

    Alum Develops Tool to Address Disparities in the U.S. Military

    Racial, ethnic, and gender disparities in military career success and representation are a long-standing problem. To help inform efforts to address this, David Schulker (cohort '07) created the Military Demographic Equity Machine tool.

    Sep 6, 2022

  • Alum Uses Game Theory and AI to Gain Insight on Space Competition

    Bonnie Triezenberg (cohort '14) and colleagues use game theoretical models to focus on the dynamics of space competition. They describe strategic interaction patterns, where possible; the conditions that give rise to them; and how investments shape those conditions.

    Jul 6, 2022

  • Lockheed Martin employees work on the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter production line in Fort Worth, Texas, December 24, 2012, photo by Defense Contract Management Agency

    Improving Defense Acquisition

    Informed by 35 years of RAND research on defense acquisition, a new analysis describes overarching trends that affect DoD's acquisition system, outlines challenges in the acquisition process, and suggests improvements that might help address those challenges.

    Jun 16, 2022

  • South Korea's new President Kim Dae-jung waves on the grounds of the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, February 25, 1998, photo by Str Old/Reuters

    Three Principles for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security

    In his inaugural address in 1998, former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung defined three principles for Korean Peninsula peace and security. How might these principles be adjusted to manage today's changing North Korean threats and the Korean security environment?

    May 20, 2022

  • A man looks at a street monitor showing a news report about North Korea's missile launch, in Tokyo, Japan, November 29, 2017

    Nuclear-Use Cases for Contemplating Crisis and Conflict on the Korean Peninsula

    What are some potential ways that nuclear weapons might be brandished or used in a Korea-originated crisis? An essay by alum Bruce Bennett (cohort '75) and Prof. Paul Davis sketches a number of cases involving conflict on the Korean peninsula. They offer insights on how and why nuclear war could occur, and the corresponding circumstances that must be avoided.

    Apr 5, 2022

  • Alumni to Share Career Connections

    Ying Liu (cohort '04) and Feng Zeng ('98) will be sharing experiences and insights from their work in the pharmaceutical industry at a Career Connections webinar on March 29. Liu is senior director of market access at Sanofi and Zeng is franchise lead for health outcomes research at Biogen.

    Mar 29, 2022

  • APPAM Conference Includes Many from Pardee RAND

    More than two dozen students, alumni, and faculty presented their research at APPAM's (delayed) Fall 2021 conference March 27-29 in Austin, Texas. The conference theme was "The Power of Inclusion: Incorporating Diverse Voices in Public Policy Analysis and Management."

    Mar 29, 2022

  • Older man talking a receptionist at a medical office, photo by stockfour/Getty Images

    Do Financial Incentives Affect Medicare Use by Chronically Ill Individuals?

    Alum Sai Ma (cohort '02) and RAND colleagues found that individuals with chronic conditions respond to changes in copays, although these responses are small. Reductions in PCP copays lead to reduced use of some specialists, suggesting that lowering PCP copays could be an effective way to reduce the use of specialist care, a desirable outcome if specialists are overused.

    Mar 4, 2022

  • Wind turbines surrounded by fog in Costa Rica, photo by OGphoto/Getty Images

    A Green Costa Rican COVID-19 Recovery

    Before COVID-19 hit, Costa Rica had been taking a leading role in addressing the effects of climate change by investing in decarbonization. Pardee RAND students, faculty, and alumni consider whether these same investments could also accelerate Costa Rica's pandemic economic recovery and help address historical inequities.

    Feb 24, 2022

  • Illustrated graph shows how Costa Rica could reach net-zero emissions by 2050 under its National Decarbonization Plan. Achieving net-zero emissions is estimated to create a net economic benefit of $40.9 billion, visualization by Gabrielle Mérite

    Visualizing Costa Rica's Carbon-Neutral Future

    The latest product of RAND Art + Data illustrates research findings by Pardee RAND alumni and students David Groves, James Syme, Edmundo Molina-Perez, and Carlos Calvo Hernandez, who analyzed the potential outcomes of Costa Rica's National Decarbonization Plan.

    Feb 23, 2022

  • Doctor consulting with patient, photo by monkeybusinessimages/Getty Images

    Physician Compensation and Financial Incentives in U.S. Health Systems

    Despite growth in value-based payment arrangements and a push to improve value in health care, alumni Cheryl Damberg (cohort '89) and Erin Duffy ('15) find that health systems currently incentivize physicians to maximize volume, thereby maximizing revenues.

    Feb 8, 2022

  • Electrician teaching his apprentices how to strip the wires in the distribution board, photo by simonkr/Getty Images

    The Value of Education and Training After High School

    Most types of postsecondary credentials can lead to improved earnings. But alum Lindsey Daugherty (cohort '05) explains that returns can vary across different fields and by demographic characteristics. Understanding the value of credentials can help individuals, employers, and policymakers make smarter investments.

    Feb 2, 2022

  • The Embarked Security Team (EST) on Board USNS Rainier (T-AOE 7), along with Sailors from Coastal Riverine Squadron THREE's (CRS-3) boarded on Riverine Command Boats (RCBs), defend the vessel using dazzler non-lethal weapon and blank rounds during a simulated attack as it departs to support ships during Rim of the Pacific 2016. Twenty-six nations, comprising over 40 ships and submarines and over 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC from June 30 to Aug. 4 in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity that helps participants foster and sustain the cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans. RIMPAC 2016 is the 25th iteration in the series that began in 1971 and is the world's largest international maritime exercise, photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Martin Wright/U.S. Navy

    How to Effectively Assess the Impact of Non-Lethal Weapons as Intermediate Force Capabilities

    The U.S Department of Defense needs to be able to assess the tactical, operational, and strategic impact of non-lethal weapons to inform how and when they should be used and their integration into overall DoD capabilities. Alum Jonathan Wong (cohort '12) and RAND colleagues ask, how do non-lethal weapons contribute to overarching DoD goals?

    Jan 18, 2022

  • ROK combat medics load a simulated wounded soldier into a U.S. Army helicopter during a joint exercise in Uijongbu, South Korea, March 5, 2008, photo by MC1 Lou Rosales/U.S. Navy

    Preserving the ROK-U.S. Alliance by Sustaining Military Exercises

    The Republic of Korea (ROK)/U.S. military forces based in the ROK are in a constant state of training, which is required to maintain military effectiveness. North Korea seeks to stop this ROK/U.S. military training, but alum Bruce Bennett says taking the North Korean complaints seriously could be a mistake.

    Nov 30, 2021

  • Seated female therapist wearing a mask, holding a clipboard, and facing her client, photo by SDI Productions/Getty Images

    Assessment of State and Federal Health Policies for Opioid Use Disorder Treatment During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond

    Alum Annie Boustead (cohort '11) and RAND colleagues summarize the multitude of ways access to and utilization of treatment for individuals with OUD might have been expanded by state and federal policy during COVID-19 pandemic in 4 key areas: telehealth, privacy, licensing, and medication.

    Nov 23, 2021

  • Patient at a medical clinic filling out paperwork, photo by Dimensions/Getty Images

    How to Prevent Health Insurance Loss During Future Recessions

    The pandemic–related recession and job loss raised concerns that millions of Americans would lose their health insurance. But temporary aid to protect coverage prevented that from happening. Research by Nabeel Qureshi (cohort '18) and Profs. Christine Eibner, Jodi L. Liu (alum, '12), Carter C. Price, and Raffaele Vardavas found that making the enhanced marketplace tax credits in the American Rescue Plan permanent could keep coverage stable in future recessions.

    Nov 12, 2021

  • Five Faculty Win Awards for Mentoring

    RAND recently recognized five Pardee RAND faculty members — one of whom is also an alum — for their valuable contributions in mentoring junior researchers and advising colleagues.

    Oct 27, 2021