Alumni News & Announcements

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.
Alum Yong-Sup Han Visits to Discuss North Korea
May 1, 2017
Alum Yong-Sup Han (cohort '88), vice president of the Research Institute on National Security Affairs at Korea National Defense University, visited RAND to discuss the U.S. defense policy toward North Korea. He was invited by the RAND Center for Asia Pacific Policy.
Mixed Messages: Is Cocaine Consumption in the U.S. Going Up or Down?
Apr 28, 2017
Data lags and the elimination of the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring program complicate estimates of U.S. cocaine consumption. New users who haven't yet developed cocaine dependence are also a factor. Professor Beau Kilmer and alum Gregory Midgette (cohort '09) suggest it may be prudent to start planning for an increase in heavy use even before all of the evidence is in.
Five Dead-Ends — and One Risky Opportunity — When Trump and Xi Talk North Korea
Apr 10, 2017
Alum Bruce Bennett (cohort '75) writes that, among President Trump's options, proposing a deal that gives the North Korean elite an alternative to its murderous and unstable leader could be the safest and most realistic way to sheath North Korean nuclear weapons and safeguard the American people.
Alum Vilamovska Receives Award for Service to Poland
Apr 3, 2017
Anna-Marie Vilamovska (cohort '05) is one of the youngest recipients of Poland's Commander Cross of the Order of Merit, which was bestowed upon her in December for her contributions to the development of Polish-Bulgarian cooperation.
Murder, Missiles, and Messages from North Korea
Mar 24, 2017
Pyongyang launched a ballistic missile on February 12 — one day before Kim Jong Nam, half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, was murdered in Malaysia — and four more on March 6. Alum Bruce Bennett (cohort '75) asks, What would lead North Korea to carry out these provocations?
Testing the Scenario Hypothesis via an Experimental Comparison
Mar 16, 2017
Alumni Jordan Fischbach (cohort '04) and Zhimin Mao (cohort '11), along with professor Robert Lempert and other RAND researchers, undertook an experimental comparison of scenarios and forecasts to see which was most useful in a complex decision environment. The results offer lessons for designing decision support tools.
Five Myths About American Obesity
Mar 13, 2017
Two in three Americans are overweight or obese. There are popular theories about what's causing the obesity epidemic but research does not support them. What is clear, write alum Ruopeng An (cohort '08) and professor Roland Sturm, is that most U.S. adults eat too many calories.
Winter 2017 Alumni Newsletter Available Online
Mar 10, 2017
Pardee RAND's alumni newsletter features articles about the Charles Wolf memorial, our distinguished visiting professors, a new tech lab and design studio, an upcoming APPAM student conference, and more.
Alumni Evaluate the Jinan City Water Ecological Development Implementation Plan
Mar 9, 2017
Alumni David Groves (cohort '01) and Zhimin Mao (cohort '11) as well as professors Debra Knopman and Nidhi Kalra, evaluated potential effects of demand and climate uncertainties on investments recently undertaken by the Jinan Municipal Water Resources Bureau according to the Jinan City Water Ecological Development Implementation Plan, and assessed the potential of new investments and management strategies to help Jinan meet its long-term water resources goals.
Death by Nerve Gas: Two Arrests, Many Questions in Attack in Malaysia
Mar 7, 2017
Details about the murder of Kim Jong-Un's half-brother are still being uncovered. If a firm connection to North Korea can be made, others in the region should react strongly. writes alum Bruce Bennett (cohort '75). Otherwise, Kim may conclude that further provocations are worth it.
Four Alumni Visit to Discuss Careers
Mar 6, 2017
Thanks to the efforts of the Career Services Advisory Committee, four alumni — Loren Yager (cohort '87), Ying Liu ('04), Eric Jesse ('08), and Jon Wong ('12) — visited Pardee RAND during the winter quarter to discuss their varied careers.
Community Colleges Can Be 'First Responders' in Retraining Displaced Workers
Feb 16, 2017
Many of the occupations with the most career opportunities require two-year degrees or certificates, such as those in health care and technology. Alum Lindsay Daugherty (cohort '05) says community colleges play a key role in training students for these jobs, and offer an environment that is supportive of displaced and dissatisfied workers.
Assessment of the Civilian Acquisition Workforce Personnel Demonstration Project
Feb 15, 2017
Student Cameron Wright (cohort '12), alum Lindsay Daugherty (cohort '05), and professor Laura Werber joined forces with RAND colleagues to assess DoD's AcqDemo, finding several aspects of the program that are performing well but also areas that could be improved.
How to Counter Transnational Criminal Networks
Jan 27, 2017
Transnational criminal networks have expanded their global reach. In some cases, they have even converged with terrorist groups. Research by alum Gregory Midgette (cohort '09) and RAND colleagues examines how these networks threaten U.S. interests and what can be done to combat them.
Helping Soldiers Use Army Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities in Civilian Jobs
Jan 24, 2017
Some veterans struggle to find jobs after they leave the Army. Alum Michael Shanley (cohort '79) helped to identify a broad range of high-quality civilian jobs that match Army KSAs.
Oregon's Options for Financing Health Care
Jan 19, 2017
Federal health care reform had just begun in 2013 when Oregon authorized a study to improve how the state pays for health care. A comparison of the projected impacts and feasibility of four options—developed by alum Jodi Liu (cohort '12), professors Chapin White and Christine Eibner, and several RAND colleagues—can help Oregon's stakeholders choose the option that best suits their needs.
Trump Should Confront Kim Over ICBM Tests
Jan 6, 2017
Whether successful or not, an ICBM test by North Korea would be very much against U.S. interests and President-elect Trump should act to counter it as early as possible. A turn to the basics of deterrence would be the path most likely to succeed, writes alum Bruce Bennett (cohort '75).