Alumni News & Announcements

Promising Approaches to Army Institutional Change
Dec 5, 2017
The U.S. Army faces challenges including behavioral health issues, misconduct, and adjustment to changing demographics. Student Adeyemi Okunogbe (cohort '13) and alum Ben Batorsky (cohort' 12) found that long-term solutions will require changes in Army culture and climate. Such changes are difficult, but promising strategies do exist.
Drones Could Deliver Change to Africa
Nov 17, 2017
Drones have potential on the African continent to transform urban and rural infrastructure and enhance agricultural productivity, writes Prof. Shira Efron (alum, cohort '11). But deployment of drones in Africa still faces technological, economic, social, and legal and regulatory challenges.
U.S. Health System Should Prepare for Future Alzheimer's Treatments
Nov 15, 2017
Advanced clinical trials are underway for at least 10 promising therapies for Alzheimer's disease. But alum Jodi Liu (cohort '12) and student Jakub Hlavka (cohort '14) found that the U.S. health care system lacks the capacity to rapidly move a treatment from approval into wide clinical use. Millions of people could miss out on transformative care if such a breakthrough occurs.
Twenty Pardee RANDites Present at APPAM in Chicago
Nov 10, 2017
Alumni, students and faculty converged on Chicago for APPAM's 39th annual fall research conference November 2–4. The theme of the conference was Measurement Matters: Better Data for Better Decisions.
How Safe Should Autonomous Vehicles Be Before They're Introduced to Market?
Nov 7, 2017
Prof Nidhi Kalra and alum David G. Groves (cohort '01) developed a model to compare 500 different scenarios of autonomous vehicle introduction, adoption, and improvement. The research shows that putting autonomous vehicles on the road sooner, allowing them to improve quicker, could save hundreds of thousands of lives over time.
Evaluating Iowa's Proposed Stopgap Measure
Oct 16, 2017
To stabilize the state's individual health insurance market, Iowa proposed the Iowa Stopgap Measure (ISM). Alum Jodi Liu (cohort '12) and colleagues say ISM modifications would increase the federal deficit, but decrease federal spending per enrollee.
Savings from a Single-Payer Health System Would Not Be Automatic
Sep 26, 2017
Polls have shown increasing public support for a single-payer system in the U.S., writes alum Jodi Liu (cohort '12). Yet there is no agreement on how to set up and pay for a single-payer system or even how much it would cost.
Beyond Strategic Patience with North Korea: What Comes Next?
Sep 8, 2017
North Korea says that nuclear weapons are essential to regime survival. Alum Bruce Bennett (cohort '75) says the United States should figure out how to persuade the North Korean regime that it is less likely to survive by posing a nuclear threat than by cooperating with the international community.
Dardia to Represent Alumni on Board of Governors
Sep 5, 2017
Michael Dardia (cohort '89) will join the Pardee RAND Board of Governors in November as the new alumni representative. He recently participated in a Q&A session with the School's new development officer.
Alum Bruce Bennett on Understanding North Korea
Aug 18, 2017
How should the United States respond to North Korea's provocative behavior? Bennett (cohort '75) says even the best military options could be cataclysmically bad, but there are nonmilitary options to convince Kim Jong Un that the costs of his provocations outweigh any benefits.
Tensions Between North Korea and the U.S.
Aug 16, 2017
Alum Bruce Bennett (cohort '75), along with RAND experts, Andrew Scobell and J.D. Williams, hosted a conference call with news media discussing the rising tensions between North Korea and the United States. RAND Senior Media Relations Officer Khorshied Samad moderated the call.
Extending Marketplace Tax Credits Would Make Coverage More Affordable for Middle-Income Adults
Jul 27, 2017
Paying for health care coverage is a challenge for Americans facing rising premiums, deductibles, and copayments. Alum Jodi Liu (cohort '12) and Prof. Christine Eibner say the ACA's tax credits that make marketplace insurance more affordable for lower-income individuals should be extended to middle-income adults aged 50–64.
Lessons from Israel's Wars in Gaza
Jul 26, 2017
The Israel Defense Force had to evolve to meet an adaptive and determined hybrid adversary during its wars in Gaza. Student Elizabeth Bartels (cohort '15) and alum/prof Shira Efron (cohort '11) found that the U.S. Army and the joint force can learn from the IDF's challenge of balancing intense international legal public scrutiny and the hard operational realities of urban warfare.
Pittsburgh's Options to Address Lead in Its Water
Jul 18, 2017
Pittsburgh is struggling to improve its aging water system. Student Michele Abbott (cohort '14) and alum/professor Jordan Fischbach (cohort '04) review the history and recent developments related to the use of lead pipes and the policy options for lead remediation currently being weighed by local decisionmakers.
North Korea's Continuous Provocations
Jul 17, 2017
In this July 17th, 2017 congressional briefing, alum Bruce W. Bennett (cohort '75), Senior International/Defense Researcher at RAND, discusses North Korea's nuclear missile programs, its changing relationship with China, and implications for U.S. policy.
Characterizing National Exposures to Infrastructure from Natural Disasters
Jul 12, 2017
Data and methods documentation for an analysis of how infrastructure systems - roads, the electric grid, ports, telecommunications networks, refineries, and others - are vulnerable to disruption from natural disasters.
Getting the Lead Out of Pittsburgh's Water
Jul 3, 2017
Without an aggressive long-term strategy for replacing service lines, and collaboration among the water authority, public officials, and residents, lead in Pittsburgh's water will persist, writes Prof. Jordan Fischbach (alum, cohort '04).
Spring 2017 Alumni Newsletter Available Online
Jun 21, 2017
Pardee RAND's alumni newsletter features articles about the six new Pardee RAND analytic Methods Centers, Dean Susan Marquis' visit to China (with alum Hui Wang, cohort '88), student presenters and moderators at the regional APPAM conference, and more.
Six Alumni Share Career Advice with Students
Jun 2, 2017
The spring quarter saw six alumni — possibly a record! — participate in the Career Development speaker series. David An, Christina Huang, Hilary Rhodes, John Fei, Sarah Kups, and Min Mao all helped current students explore their career options.
Wang Helps School Foster Ties with China
Jun 1, 2017
With the support of alum Hui Wang (cohort '88), Dean Susan Marquis visited academic and nongovernmental institutions in China to establish and strengthen relationships with Pardee RAND. Wang is the outgoing alumni member of the Pardee RAND Board of Governors.
A 'Learning System' in Behavioral Health Can Help in Sharing Best Practices, Innovations
May 30, 2017
Leveraging technological advances to make better use of the best available data could help rein in healthcare costs and improve both quality and safety, writes alum Bradley Stein (cohort '97). This makes sense whether the health care being delivered is physical or behavioral.
Alum Retires after 30 Years in U.S. Army
May 30, 2017
S. Jamie Gayton (cohort '06) and Elizabeth Krall Gayton, both colonels in the U.S. Army, retired in May after each serving 30 years. Jamie planned a surprise as part of his retirement ceremony so his wife—whose service officially ended without a formal ceremony—would also be recognized.
Toward a Renewed Middle East Peace Process
May 11, 2017
Momentum is building toward resumption of the dormant Middle East peace process. But alum Shira Efron (cohort '11) says there will need to be a clear, consistent plan that delivers quick, tangible results to both sides and helps restore trust between them in order for a peace plan to succeed.
Strategic Planning Tools for the Army Senior ROTC Program
May 5, 2017
Researchers created a program evaluation tool and a selection evaluation tool to help the Army evaluate existing ROTC programs and explore new market opportunities, keep up with changes in the college student population, and meet both near-term officer production goals as well as longer-term strategic objectives.
Prototype Tool Designed to Help Law Enforcement Use Data from Mobile Applications
May 1, 2017
Student Bonnie Triezenberg (cohort '14) worked with alumni Anne Boustead ('11) and Steven Isley ('10) and professor Ed Balkovich to document a prototype tool called MIKE (the Mobile Information and Knowledge Ecosystem) that can help interested stakeholders — law enforcement, commercial enterprises, regulators, legislators, and the public (including advocacy groups) — better understand the mobile app ecosystem and the relationships among the data, its sources, and applicable legal constraints.