Alumni News & Announcements

North Korean Nuclear Weapons Pose an Existential Threat to China
Jul 13, 2021

Despite the current border closures between their two countries, China and North Korea remain resolutely pledged to a “blood-alliance.” But alum Bruce Bennett and student Diana Myers argue this partnership has vastly different implications depending on which side of the border you consider.
Twelve Alumni Present Career Talks
Jun 14, 2021

Alumni near and far shared their experiences with current students this spring through interactive Career Services webinars and discussions, taking advantage of one silver lining of our virtual world.
Societal Impact of Research Funding for Women's Health
Apr 22, 2021

An examination of the impact of increased funding for research on Alzheimer's disease and Alzheimer's disease-related dementias in women, conducted by students Annie Chen and Hamad Al-Ibrahim, and alum Denise Quigley, showed that small investments in women's health research can yield large gains, including benefits above investing in general research.
Reducing Hospital Spending: Three Policy Options
Apr 21, 2021

Alum Jodi Liu (cohort '12), student Nabeel Qureshi ('18), and colleagues summarize the spending impact of policy options to reduce hospital prices paid by private health plans, outlining design choices and effectiveness levels for each approach.
COVID-19 Exacerbates North Korea's Bad Choices
Apr 20, 2021

Recently, Kim Jong-un admitted that North Korea is facing a dire situation. It was surprising that he would admit circumstances which at face value suggest major failures on his part. Alum Bruce Bennett asks, Why is Kim admitting that such circumstances are developing in the North now?
Reed, Hodgson Discuss Election Security for the Future
Mar 15, 2021

Record high U.S. election turnout in November 2020 was matched with record low confidence in vote's accuracy. Harper Reed, a member of Pardee RAND’s Board of Governors, sat down (virtually) with Prof. Quentin Hodgson to discuss the election and how the United States can ensure cyber and physical security—and trust—in future elections.
Water Planning for the Uncertain Future
Mar 8, 2021

James Syme (cohort '18) and alumni David Groves ('01) and Edmundo Molina-Perez ('11) conducted seven case studies focusing on the western United States and Mexico to develop an interactive tool that provides information about decisionmaking under deep uncertainty (DMDU) methods—specifically, Robust Decision Making (RDM).
Setting U.S. Hospital Prices Could Cut Overall Health Spending by Billions
Feb 18, 2021

Price regulations face political obstacles and have been strongly opposed by medical providers. But alum Jodi Liu (cohort '12) and student Nabeel Qureshi ('18) find that setting prices for all commercial health care payers could reduce hospital spending by $61.9 billion to $236.6 billion a year if the rates were set at 100 to 150 percent of the amounts paid by Medicare.
Wargames as an Educational Tool
Feb 8, 2021

The benefits of games for military education are well documented, writes alum Ellie Bartels (cohort '15). But harnessing the potential of games to foster innovation may require a commitment to sustain gaming over the years needed to explore a problem space and develop and stress-test new ideas.
Previous Disasters Provide Important Lessons for Central America's Recovery from Hurricanes
Jan 11, 2021

As the global community works together to assist Central America in recovering from the disastrous 2020 hurricane season, alum David Groves (cohort '01) and colleagues write, experiences from other recent disaster recovery efforts offer some helpful lessons both for the governments of the region as well as outsiders providing resources and support.
Bad Idea: Overly Focusing on Development and Acquisition Speed
Dec 16, 2020

The Pentagon has in recent years turned its attention to the need for speed in weapons system development and acquisition. Alum Jon Wong (cohort '12) writes that, while shortening the timeline for program development and fielding is important for Defense Department acquisition leaders, overly prioritizing speed can lead to issues with program management, sustainment, and other areas.
Beyond 2020: What Lies Ahead for the Biden-Harris Administration?
Dec 10, 2020

Dean Susan Marquis, journalist Soledad O’Brien, and professors Debra Knopman and Howard Shatz discussed the changes we can expect from the incoming U.S. administration on issues from energy and climate change to economic policy and COVID-19 response and recovery efforts.
For These Alumnae, Games Are Hard Work
Dec 1, 2020

Games are more than just theoretical to alumnae Ellie Bartels (cohort '15), Claire O'Hanlon ('13), and Yuna Wong ('00). Bartels is the new director of the RAND Center for Gaming, O'Hanlon recently launched an online version of her card game ControVersus, and Wong helped create RAND's first publicly available board game, Hedgemony.
APPAM Fall Conference Goes Online
Dec 1, 2020

The 42nd annual fall APPAM Research Conference may have been virtual, but that didn't stop Pardee RAND students, alumni, and faculty (and RAND researchers) from having a real presence.
The Benefits and Costs of Decarbonizing Costa Rica's Economy
Nov 24, 2020

Costa Rica set the ambitious goal of becoming carbon-neutral by 2050. Alumni David Groves and Edmundo Molina-Perez, with students James Syme and Carlos Calvo Hernandez, evaluated the benefits and costs of its National Decarbonization Plan and found that under most plausible assumptions about the future, the plan would achieve or nearly achieve its goals and do so at a net economic benefit.
Korea Experts Bennett, Han Retire
Nov 23, 2020

Bruce Bennett (cohort '75), a RAND senior international and defense researcher, and Yong-Sup Han ('88), former vice president and director of the Korean National Defense University, both (officially) retired this summer. Their careers were both remarkable.
Securing Election 2020: A Panel Discussion
Oct 29, 2020

From the logistical hurdles of conducting an election during a global pandemic to ongoing risks of foreign meddling and disinformation campaigns, this year’s U.S. election will be unlike any other in recent history. The Pardee RAND Graduate School is pleased to convene this virtual discussion on election security.
How Can Green Infrastructure Help to Manage Rainfall in an Urban Watershed?
Oct 29, 2020

Cities across the United States are struggling to effectively manage stormwater. A study by Jordan Fischbach (cohort '04) and David Catt ('16) shows how the challenges of increasing volumes of stormwater in a complex urban environment can be addressed by a mix of solutions.
Managing Heavy Rainfall with Green Infrastructure
Oct 26, 2020

Alum Jordan Fischbach (cohort '04), student David Catt ('16) and colleagues evaluated Pittsburgh's Negley Run watershed to explore how eco-friendly stormwater infrastructure could reduce flooding and provide positive economic benefits in areas that face urgent flood risk.
Predisaster Conditions, Hurricane Damage, and Recovery Needs in Puerto Rico
Sep 30, 2020

Puerto Rico was facing challenges and stressors prior to the 2017 hurricane season. A comprehensive assessment of those issues and the damage caused by Hurricane Maria and other 2017 storms identifies short- and longer-term needs for Puerto Rico to recover and to build resilience to future storms.