Student Biographies

Ruopeng An completed a bachelor's degree in political science and public administration from the Peking University School of Government. As a policy analyst in the General Office of the General Administration of China Customs (GACC), he participated in many major research projects, including Chinese trade surplus analysis, coordination development of regional economy, and the second-step development strategic plan for building a modern customs regime. He was also a contributing writer of three national level publications: China Commerce Yearbook, Almanac of China's Economy, and People's Republic of China Yearbook. He pursued a master of public policy in the Graduate Institute of Policy Studies (GRIPS) in Tokyo, where he was president of the International Student Council whose members were from 31 countries. His hobbies include, but are not restricted to, swimming, badminton, table-tennis, regression analysis, cooking, and experiencing multinational cultures.

Nono Ayivi-Guedehoussou holds a master of science degree in global health and population from Harvard School of Public Health. Recently she worked on the implementation of a conditional cash transfer program in Burkina Faso. Currently her interests are focused on health systems evaluations and program evaluation of health interventions in developing countries, in particular, Sub-Saharan countries.

Evan Bloom completed a B.S. in management science and a B.A. in political science from the University of California San Diego. His senior thesis focused on auctions in the U.S. Sulfur Dioxide Allowance Market. He then worked as an analyst at an economic consulting firm, Analysis Group, where he focused on a wide variety of topics, including health insurance, antitrust, and pharmaceuticals. His policy interests at RAND range from energy and the environment to transportation and insurance markets. In his free time, he enjoys reading and playing board games.

Elizabeth Brown was senior project manager at Collaborative Economics in Mountain View, California focused on designing collaborative strategies for economic development in regions across the U.S. She has managed the production of the authoritative Index of Silicon Valley since 2001. She received a BA in cultural anthropology from Skidmore College, and an MA in international comparative education from Stanford University. An avid athlete, Elizabeth was ranked tenth in the U.S in extreme skiing and now occasionally competes in triathlons and surfs recreationally.

Benjamin Bryant was a research assistant at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, where he modeled the impacts of wildfires. He also worked as a mathematics tutor. He has been an intern with the Union of Concerned Scientists, working on clean and renewable energy, and a scientific programmer with the Southwest Research Institute. He received a B.S. in mathematics from Harvey Mudd College, where he was awarded the Stavros Busenberg Prize in applied mathematics. He was a Los Angeles Philanthropic Foundation Scholar, Edmund Maxwell Scholar, and Harvey Mudd Merit Scholar. His hobbies include competitive cycling, piano, and jazz drumming.

Jim Burgdorf completed a B.A. in public policy and economics at the New College of Florida. He most recently worked as a junior analyst at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, where he served as the primary author of the National Healthcare Quality Report.

Susan Burkhauser holds a B.S. degree in policy analysis and management from the College of Human Ecology at Cornell University. Before coming to PRGS she worked as a senior analyst at Compass Lexecon. There she conducted both qualitative and quantitative research assisting in the creation of economic expert reports. Her work focused mainly on anti-trust/mergers, class certification, and intellectual property which spanned several industries including healthcare, chemical, and digital media. At PRGS Susan's work has focused on primary and secondary education policy in RAND's education unit and on officer selection and training in RAND’s project air force unit.

John Caloyeras, prior to joining PRGS, was a project manager at Abt Bio-Pharma Solutions, Inc., a subsidiary of Abt Associates, Inc. His research has focused on retrospective database analyses aimed at understanding treatment patterns and costs of various diseases, as well as the programming of decision-analytic economic models aimed at evaluating the costs and benefits of various drugs and devices; the latter being used extensively in the development of global pricing strategies and/or securing reimbursement for new drugs and devices. At PRGS, John hopes to pursue further research in the health policy arena, particularly with respect to quality improvement and other hospital-related research topics. John holds a B.A. in biology from Carleton College.

Stephanie Chan was most recently a budget analyst managing the Medicaid budget at the New York City Mayor's Office of Management and Budget. There she prepared financial projections, analytical reports, and cost evaluations of legislative changes. She holds an M.A. in economics from New York University and a B.S. in policy analysis and management from Cornell University. Stephanie's volunteer work has taken her around the world, including China, Sri Lanka, South Africa, and Germany.

Megan Clifford attended Loyola University Chicago where she majored in economics and history and minored in Italian. She then studied mathematics at UCLA as a post-baccalaureate student. Her policy interests at PRGS include health, labor, and environmental research. In her free time she enjoys outdoor activities, such as rock climbing and biking. She is also an avid traveler.

Jack Clift attended Corpus Christi College at Oxford University, and was awarded a B.A. in classics in 2003. He completed his M.P.P. degree at UCLA in 2006. Jack has served as an intern to both a U.S. congressman and to a member of the European Parliament.

Lopamudra Das has a B.S. in psychology from UC San Diego and an M.P.H. in health services administration from San Diego State University. Since 2004, she has worked in diverse mental and public health areas including projects on autism interventions, atypical antipsychotics, gaze following in adults and infants, menu labeling policies, perinatal safety, and cognitive aging in twins. She is currently working towards developing a social media based patient engagement platform for a rare chronic disease and is also conceptualizing and designing an intricate MS Access-based data abstraction instrument for the Palliative Care Quality Improvement research team at the Veteran's Administration (VA) Hospital of Greater Los Angeles.

Claudia Diaz joined PRGS after having served as a lecturer and researcher at Universidad Centroamericana "Jose Simeon Cañas," in El Salvador. She earned a B.A. in economics in 2001 from the same institution, and completed an M.A. in economic development at Vanderbilt University in 2005.

Jeremy Didier is a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Air Force. He graduated with distinction in academic, athletic, and military performance from the Air Force Academy, where he earned a B.S. in political science. His designated future career field is intelligence. Jeremy's research interests at PRGS include international relations, American politics, and military doctrine. In his free time, he enjoys snowboarding, hiking, and playing softball.

Brian Dille used his University of Georgia law degree to great effect as Chief Legal Opposition Researcher for Arnold Schwarzenegger's 2006 gubernatorial campaign, where he conducted research on the legal background of various stakeholders in the election, and performed fieldwork for the campaign. Brian also has an A.B. in sociology and German from University of Georgia and has worked toward an M.P.P. from Pepperdine University School of Public Policy, in economics and international relations.

Chaoling Feng holds a master's degree in management science and engineering from Tsinghua University, a post-master from Ecole Nationale Supérieure Des Mines de Paris, and a bachelor's degree in information management and information system from Northwestern Polytechnic University. Her research interests include climate change, energy, and environment interface. Before joining PRGS, Chaoling was a research analyst in Mission Climat, Caisse Des Depots, studying climate policy and climate technology transfer in China. She was a volunteer and then a researcher in Global Environmental Institute, focusing on the U.S.-China collaboration to counter climate change and improve energy efficiency. She also worked as a core project researcher focused on the impact of emission trading schemes on China's aviation industry, funded by the Civil Aviation Administration of China. She has authored several publications in both academic journals and public communication arenas. In her spare time, she enjoys table tennis, jogging, bike-riding, travelling, and making new friends.

D. Steven Fox is a physician who has worked in private practice, county health, and the developing world. He earned his M.D. from Dartmouth Medical School and an MSc (in clinical tropical medicine and public health) from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Earlier, he earned an M.S. (in atmospheric physics) and a B.S. (in physical oceanography) from the University of Washington. He has worked extensively as an investment analyst in finance and commercial real estate. His professional research interests include: disease control and eradication, health system preparedness/biodefense, health program improvement, security and health impacts of global climate change and practical applications of developing technology, to name a few. When time allows, he enjoys cooking, bicycling, travel, and is a voracious reader.

Ning Fu was an intern in the House Majority Leader, Congressman Steny Hoyer's office, where she supported administrative staffs and legislative assistants working on database management, data analysis, sorting mail, fax and emails, and tracking correspondence. She completed an M.A. in public policy and management from the University of Southern California where she won the Dean's Certificate of Award and the Academic Achievement Award. Her thesis dealt with the China stock market bubble analysis. She had working experience from China Aviation Industry Corporation where she performed financial analysis and policy planning. She holds a B.A. in marketing from Beijing Institute of Technology.

Adam Gailey came to PRGS after being a consultant for CRA International, an economic and financial consulting firm that specializes in analyses for business litigation. There he performed statistical analyses of fair lending issues, including price and risk modeling. Apart from economics, Adam enjoys playing volleyball and ultimate frisbee. He received an M.S. in economics from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and a B.A. in economics and mathematics from Macalester College.

Andy Hackbarth most recently worked for the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, where he wore many hats but focused on quantitative analysis, especially measurement of healthcare organization quality of care. His interests at PRGS run the gamut, from health care to environmental issues, to security, to education; just about everything RAND does. Andy received his undergraduate degree in applied mathematics from Harvard, with a specialization in "Decision and Control". In his spare time, he enjoys basketball, tennis, soccer, going to the movies and/or Indian lunch buffets, and banging on his piano.

Abigail Haddad graduated from Kenyon College with a B.A. in economics. As an undergraduate, she tutored students in economics and managed organization budgets. After graduating, she worked as an economist at the Bureau of Labor Statistics, where she prepared training modules, wrote internal software manuals, and aggregated and analyzed data for the evaluation of CPI collectors. Prior to coming to PRGS, she spent two years as a research assistant at the American Enterprise Institute, researching topics related to energy and the environment. She also contributed research for a history of the Reagan presidency. Her research interests at PRGS include labor economics and the graphical representation of data.

Kim Hale is a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force. She graduated with academic distinction, earning a B.S. in geospatial science with a minor in French. At the Air Force Academy, she played for the intercollegiate women's soccer team. She also studied abroad for a semester at the Ecole de l'Air in Salon, France. In her free time she enjoys playing soccer, running, and snowboarding. At PRGS her research interests include Air Force ISR, the development of AFRICOM, counter-insurgency operations, and counter-terrorism initiatives throughout the less-developed world.

Scott Hiromoto, a U.S. citizen, has recently returned from six months as a volunteer in India for Link Overseas Exchange, where he taught English at a Tibetan Buddhist monastery. He received a master's degree in economics, first class, from St. Andrews University in Scotland. He spent his junior year at Queens University in Canada. His job experience includes internships with the U.S. Census Bureau and with a private company in his home state of Texas. His master's thesis was "An Econometric Analysis of Drug Crime."

Eileen Hlavka received a B.A. from Reed College in mathematics and political science, and has policy interests in energy, environment, taxation, health, and labor and population. Prior to coming to PRGS, Eileen was a policy analyst at Prevent Child Abuse California, where she researched and helped draft state legislation regarding child abuse. In her spare time she enjoys practicing taiko drumming.

Matt Hoover, prior to joining PRGS, worked as an independent research consultant, primarily managing randomized evaluations of international education projects. Previously, Matt worked in youth advocacy in the U.S. and abroad, and served as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer. He holds a B.A. in accounting from Michigan State University and an M.I.A. and an M.P.H. from Columbia University. His current research interests are in child policy, education, and international development as it pertains to better outcomes for child development.

Jianhui Hu completed an M.P.P. at Pepperdine University while working full time as program research coordinator in a health care center for the elderly. She worked for five years in the tax bureau for Yunnan Province in China, where she was named an Advanced Public Servant in the field of Policy Research. She is a member of the Chinese Institution of Certified Public Accountants. She earned a B.S. in business administration from the People's University of China, where she was a student leader and the university tennis champion.

Amber Jaycocks graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a B.S. in environmental engineering and a concentration in urban planning and studies. While at MIT she was involved in research modeling groundwater flux in Hawaii and Massachusetts, as well as conducting a low-tech water filtration and epidemiology study in Peru. She was an environmental engineer for the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center-U.S. DoT where she worked on various environmental analysis and policy projects. Most recently, she was at State Street Associates as a quantitative financial analyst building proprietary trading strategies and capital flow indicators. In her free time she likes to do yoga, hike, swim, do pottery, and listen to jazz.

David Johnson comes to PRGS with a varied background, having worked as a business consultant at McKinsey & Company, a programmer and database designer, and most recently having founded his own Web site focusing on the music industry. His interests are a similar mixed bag: environmental policy, the use of renewable energy in developing countries, policing and criminal justice, digital piracy, and cyberterrorism, to name a few. His academic background is in mathematics, holding a bachelor's from NC State University and a graduate degree from the University of Cambridge in England, where he was a Gates Scholar.

Sung-Bou Kim earned an M.P.P. at Korea Development Institute School of Public Policy and Management, where he was a teaching assistant for quantitative methods and microeconomics. He also worked on Korean education policy and reform as a research assistant. Sung-Bou graduated Great Honor with a bachelor's degree in international studies from Korea University, where he was involved in various activities including military service as an air traffic controller and volunteer work in Thailand and Korea. His research interests include aging and retirement, postsecondary education, poverty and income disparity, and school reform.

Lisa Klautzer comes to PRGS from RAND Europe, where she worked on such research topics as transport and sustainability, science and technology, civil justice, corporate governance, healthcare, and education. A citizen of Austria, Lisa performed her graduate studies in Law at the Karl-Franzens-Universität in Graz. She has also studied in Italy and the U.S.

Sarah Kups has recently completed a master's degree in economics at the University of Cambridge (UK). As an undergraduate, Sarah studied economics and international relations at the University of St Andrews (UK), and spent a year abroad at the University of California Santa Barbara. A citizen of Germany, she also lived in France as a high school exchange student. Sarah served as an intern at Amnesty International (Bonn, Germany) and at the Institute for Work, Skills and Training (Gelsenkirchen, Germany), and was a rapporteur for the Salzburg Global Seminar (Austria). In her free time, she enjoys having dinner parties, traveling, and learning languages.

Debbie Lai received a B.A. from Michigan State University in Chinese and international relations. She was an active member of the policy debate team for four years with much success, including contribution to the 2006 National Championship team and two-time qualification for the National Debate Tournament. Prior to coming to PRGS, she was an executive intern at the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, where she was in charge of financing the Michigan Environmental Education Curriculum Supplement. She has also worked at debate institutes across the nation including the Emory, Michigan State, and Miami of Ohio institutions. In her spare time she enjoys biking, cooking, and baking.

John Langley is a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Air Force. A 2009 Distinguished Graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, he received a B.S. in biology. While at the Academy, he studied Arabic, played intramural tennis, and ran biology seminars for prospective students. John hopes to focus on health and military policy issues while at RAND. He enjoys recreational flying, playing the piano, scuba diving, and skiing.

Aviva Litovitz completed a Ph.D. in chemistry at Cornell University where she performed both experimental and computational research. While at Cornell, she also lectured in chemistry at Ithaca College, participated in science outreach activities, and sang in the local community choir. She earned a BArtsSc in arts and science and chemistry from McMaster University in Canada.

Russell Lundberg was most recently an inspector with the Office of the Inspector General at the Department of Homeland Security. He has received the Newton M. Minow Scholarship for 2007, one of the two scholarships endowed by former chairman of the RAND Board of Trustees, Donald Rumsfeld. Russell received an M.P.P. from the University of Maryland, and a B.A. in physics and theater from Hope College. In his spare time, he enjoys theater, cooking, and playing soccer.

Alessandro Malchiodi graduated from Bocconi University (Milan, Italy) with a B.A. in public administration and an MSc in economics and social sciences. During his studies, he was a research assistant. After graduating, he served at the Embassy of Italy in Mexico City, and then worked for a consultancy firm in Rome, where he performed evaluation of EU structural funds. Before joining PRGS, he was collaborating with the Italian think tank Vision, and was elected member of his city district's council. In his free time, he likes to play soccer, and also has experience in coaching kids.

Shannon Maloney has a B.S. in biopsychology from UC Santa Barbara and a master's in public policy from UCLA. While completing her master's program, she worked at Urban Education Partnership, evaluating programs designed to improve student performance in local high schools. She also completed an internship, evaluating policy and marketing strategies for the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation. Most recently, she worked as a performance evaluator of government programs for the California Bureau of State Audits. Prior to coming to PRGS, she was a volunteer tutor for homeless children with School on Wheels and a volunteer with Corazon de Vida, an organization that raises funds to support orphaned and abandoned children in Mexico.

Christopher McLaren completed an M.A. in applied microeconomics at San Diego State University, where he also completed a B.A. in economics, with distinction. His M.A. thesis was entitled, "Increasing Parental Eligibility for Public Health Insurance, and its Effects on Children's Public Health Insurance Coverage Rates." He worked as an intern at the San Diego World Trade Center. He interests include health care reform, nonparametric and nonlinear modeling techniques, and competitive golf

Tewodaj Mengistu, an Ethiopian citizen, was most recently a research analyst at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), where she worked on a variety of issues around hunger and malnutrition in developing countries. Prior to that, she worked with the World Bank's Development Research Group on the World Development Report 2005, which dealt with improving investment climate in developing countries. She holds an M.A. in international development from American University and a B.A. in economics from Ohio Wesleyan University.

Greg Midgette received a B.S. in finance from the University of Connecticut and a master of public policy from UCLA, where he was awarded the RAND-UCLA School of Public Affairs Fellowship. He most recently worked in education policy research for the Advancement Project and as an instructor in the Pathway program at UCLA Extension. He previously worked at the Offices of Management and Budget in New York City and Washington, D.C. His research interests are general economic development and technology policy.

Mustafa Oguz earned his undergraduate degree from Galatasaray University's International Relations Department in Istanbul. He subsequently worked as a reporter for Turkish Daily News in Ankara, covering primarily Turkish domestic politics. Before coming to PRGS, he completed his M.A. degree in international relations at the Middle East Technical University, where international security was his core research area. His policy interests at PRGS include defense policy, defense planning, and counter-insurgency.

2nd Lt. Kevin O'Neill completed a B.S. degree in operations research and economics at the United States Air Force Academy in 2009. Kevin interned at the Joint Warfare Analysis Center in 2008, and also worked with a group of peers to develop a production process simulation for AlloSource Corporation, a non-profit provider of bone and tissue allografts. During his time at PRGS, Kevin plans to pursue further research in the areas of technology and defense.

Sarah Outcault joined PRGS from being a consultant and project manager at Econ One Research, Inc. There, she provided infrastructure consulting services related to rural electrification, tariff design, and public-private partnerships for developing countries such as Nigeria, Republic of Georgia, and Mexico. Sarah received her MSc in Economic History from the London School of Economics, studying the comparative development of Africa, Asia, and Latin America. She earned a B.A. from the University of Massachusetts, Boston, with a double major in economics and social science research.

Kartika Palar earned a B.A. in development studies and ethnic studies at Brown University and an M.A. in development economics and international affairs at the Fletcher School at Tufts University. Prior to her M.A., Kartika spent several years leading non-profit health and education programs for youth in Boston. Most recently, she interned at the World Health Organization's HIV/AIDS department in Geneva and consulted for Catholic Relief Services on a micro-enterprise initiative.

Ashley Pierson has a B.A. in Latin American studies from the University of Pittsburgh and an M.P.I.A. (Master of Pacific International Affairs) from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). At UCSD she focused on international development and interned in the monitoring and evaluation department at a local nonprofit. Prior to coming to PRGS, she worked as a project coordinator in Puebla, Mexico, managing the evaluation of a small business training program. Ashley is fluent in Spanish and proficient in Portuguese. Her policy interests include education, public health, entrepreneurship, and program evaluation.

Ahmad Idrees Rahmani completed his undergraduate studies at the Balkh University in Afghanistan obtaining a B.S. in chemical engineering, and completed his master's degree in international policy studies at Stanford University. After completing his engineering studies, Idrees worked with international organizations in Afghanistan and Pakistan, helping the Afghan refugees and internally displaced people to survive the challenges of humanitarian crisis and natural disasters. Later on, he continued with his work on Afghanistan's political and economic development through USAID mission in Afghanistan. In 2005, Idrees received a Fulbright scholarship to do his graduate studies in the U.S., which took him to Stanford University. After graduation, he returned to Afghanistan and cofounded a public policy think tank which he directed until he joined PRGS as a doctorate student. Idrees has also founded a private research and development consulting company in Afghanistan which is currently in the process of making its way toward future institutional development goals. Idrees is very much interested in studying international security and the role of small states in the development of regional and global security equations. In his free time, Idrees reads history, something that he thinks he is addicted to.

Yashodhara R.L. Rana, a Nepalese citizen, has a B.A. in political science cum laude from Dartmouth College. She was awarded the Rockefeller Prize for Best Thesis in Comparative Politics, Government Department, for her thesis on the role of ethnic parties in mediating ethnic tensions in countries with large minority populations. She also studied as an exchange student at Keble College, Oxford University and Universite de Lyon. Yashodhara has served as a Microfinance analyst/volunteer with the Ghana Youth Leadership Alliance and as a research assistant in the Russia-Eurasia program of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington, D.C. She was awarded the Davis scholarship to attend a certificate program at the Monterey Institute of International Studies and a United World College scholarship to attend Lester B. Pearson College of the Pacific, British Columbia, Canada. For her work at PRGS, she is interested in policy issues in defense and international development. In her spare time, she enjoys playing basketball, reading, and travelling.

Ethan Scherer graduated from Wesleyan University with a B.A. in economics. After graduating, he went to work for Deloitte, while taking accounting courses from Babson College. Most recently, he was at UCLA earning his M.P.P. and working as a teaching assistant for a microeconomics course. While at UCLA, he was the Vice-President of-Events/Communication for the Department of Public Policy student association. Ethan enjoys singing and playing rugby.

Nicole Schmidt comes to PRGS with an M.A. in psychology from the University of Minnesota and a B.A. from Simon Fraser University in BC, Canada. During her graduate studies, she taught introductory statistics for the psychology department. As an undergraduate, she was a research assistant in several biopsychology labs. Nicole has also worked as a preschool and music teacher, and as a pianist for a theatre company. Her policy areas of interest include international and domestic health, education, and civil justice. In her spare time, she enjoys playing music, learning languages, reading/watching fiction, and gardening.

Christopher Sharon is the recipient of the first Andrew Marshall Scholarship, one of the two scholarships endowed by former chairman of the RAND Board of Trustees, Donald Rumsfeld. Chris graduated from Samford University with a B.S. in mathematics. Before coming to PRGS he helped coordinate and teach English and communication skills in Yangon, Myanmar, through the Asia Language and Business Academy, where he also conducted ethnographic research.

Victoria Shier joined PRGS from being a senior analyst at Abt Associates, Inc. There she contributed to health policy projects as a project manager and project director, and conducted qualitative and quantitative research focusing on long-term care, nursing home quality, Medicare, and prescription drug coverage. Previously, she worked as a project specialist at the Hospital for Special Surgery and as a technology analyst at Goldman Sachs. She graduated from Brown University with a B.S. in electrical engineering and earned a master's degree in health policy from New York University.

Amber Smith received a B.S. in psychology from Trinity College. Prior to coming to PRGS, she worked as research coordinator at Children's Hospital Boston on studies in hematology and oncology. Previously, she worked at Brigham and Women's Hospital's TIMI study group on cardiology studies and at Harvard School of Public Health working on studies of patient safety and RHIOS. At PRGS her policy interests include family and child health, and healthcare reform. In her free time, she likes to bike, cook, read, and paint.

Sinduja Srinivasan received her master's degree in economics from the London School of Economics. She completed her undergraduate degree in economics and biology at Carnegie Mellon University. She is interested in the education, health, and renewable energy sectors as they apply to developing countries. When she manages to get away from RAND, she cycles and practices South Indian classical music.

Christina Steiner graduated cum laude from Wellesley College with a B.A. in economics and Spanish. She won the Jorge Guillen prize for Spanish studies and then joined Teach For America in the Rio Grande Valley. As a 4th grade bilingual teacher, Christina saw the need for leaders in education to understand business principles. Christina earned her M.B.A. at the University of Texas, Austin, where she also worked for both H-E-B Grocery Store Co. and Whole Foods Market, Inc. Before coming to PRGS, Christina lived in China and taught varied subjects at Ginling College of Nanjing Normal University as an Elizabeth Luce Moore Wellesley-Yenching fellow. At PRGS, she is eager to apply lessons learned from these diverse experiences to projects within education, labor and population, and health.

Kay Sullivan holds master's and bachelor's degrees in aerospace engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her research interests include robust decisionmaking, research policy, and science and technology competitiveness. Before joining PRGS, Kay was a research associate at the Institute for Defense Analyses' Science and Technology Policy Institute, where her duties included analyzing technology policies for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. While in Virginia, Kay also studied at George Mason University's School of Public Policy and served on the Board of Directors for the Tapestry Theatre Company.

Xiao Wang is the 2008 RAND-Shanghai Jiao Tong University fellow. She completed a B.A. in economics, majoring in finance, where she was involved with the study of behavioral economics and international finance. She studied at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology as an exchange student. Her volunteer work included the Special Olympics and high school instruction. She had an internship and part-time work in a bank and consulting firm.

Elizabeth Wilke worked most recently as a legal assistant at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. As legal assistant she managed case-related files and coordinated with attorneys' support staff to execute various necessary tasks during litigation process. She received a B.A. in government and economics from the University of Texas at Austin.

Helen Wu comes to PRGS from New York-Presbyterian Hospital (NYPH), where she worked as a performance improvement specialist and led the quality and patient safety activities for its Ambulatory Care Network. Previously, she was Program Director at the National Quality Forum in Washington, D.C., managing efforts to establish voluntary national consensus measures on healthcare quality. She holds an M.S. in health evaluation sciences and a B.A. in philosophy from the University of Virginia. Carrying her interest in health beyond the classroom, she enjoys a variety of endurance and adventure sports.

Henu (Shirley) Zhao is the 2007-08 RAND/Tsinghua University Fellow. A citizen of China, Henu holds an M.A. in public management from Tsinghua University and a B.A. in archives management from Renmin University. While at Tsinghua, she was elected Vice-President of the Graduate Student Union of School of Public Policy and Mangement. Her previous work includes working as the assistant to the general manager of Shenzhen Heguang Business Co. in Beijing.