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Pardee RAND News & Events

Pardee RAND Graduate School students, alumni, and faculty are often in the news, writing blogs, publishing research, speaking at events, and more. Other pages (student blog posts, alumni news, faculty blog posts, featured research) provide filtered views of Pardee RAND news and announcements; here we present a complete compilation of ALL the news that's fit to share.

Europe's Great Challenge: Integrating Syrian Refugees

Apr 20, 2018

Since March, 2011, close to 1 million Syrian refugees have requested asylum in European countries, with Germany being the primary destination. Students Mahlet Woldetsadik (cohort '13) and Gabriela Armenta ('15) say social and economic policies to deal with the refugee crisis will require collaborative planning, monitoring, and assessment efforts to be successful.
Now's the Time to Act on Guantanamo

Apr 16, 2018

Most of the 41 terror suspects who remain confined at Guantanamo Bay are unlikely to be released from custody any time soon. Alum Jack Riley (cohort '88) says moving their trials from U.S. military to U.S. federal judges could give detainees their long-denied day in court and possibly help deliver judicial closure to the families of terror victims.
Bridging the Growing College Divide Among Young Americans

Apr 13, 2018

Over the last decade, more Americans age 25 to 34 earned four-year college and graduate degrees but the number of those without college degrees also increased. Student Diana Gehlhaus Carew (cohort '15) says new ways of communicating educational options and outcomes to young people are needed.
How the U.S. Air Force Could Retain More Female Officers

Apr 10, 2018

Women are underrepresented among the Air Force's senior leadership compared with their representation among the lower ranks. Alum Stefan Zavislan (cohort '14) helped conduct focus groups with female officers, which identified key retention factors and potential ways to improve Air Force policies and programs to address female officer retention.
Is Climate Restoration an Appropriate Policy Goal?

Apr 6, 2018

Climate restoration seeks to return atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases to preindustrial levels within one to two generations. Prof. Robert Lempert explores whether this is a suitable goal for humanity's response to climate change.
Alum Bennett on Preparing for U.S.-North Korea Talks

Apr 5, 2018

Upon returning from his 114th trip to the Korean Peninsula, alum Bruce Bennett (cohort '75) offered his analysis of recent developments in North Korea and suggested strategies for putting pressure on Kim Jong-un at the negotiating table.
How Do Calorie Labels Affect Consumers?

Mar 28, 2018

In standard restaurant settings, displaying the calorie content on restaurant menus slightly reduced the amount ordered without affecting consumer satisfaction, according to research by alum Helen Wu (cohort '07), students Crystal Huang ('13) and Cameron Wright ('12), and Prof. Roland Sturm.
Truth Decay and the Spirit of the Law

Mar 23, 2018

The widening gap between how the law is expected to be (and generally is) practiced, and certain events transpiring in America's political and policymaking realms, is of increasing concern, writes Executive Vice Dean Dan Grunfeld.
Tackling Gender-Based Violence Among Syrian Refugees in Lebanon

Mar 22, 2018

Student Mahlet Woldetsadik (cohort '13) writes that increased poverty and major shifts in traditional gender roles for Syrian refugees have worsened interpersonal tensions, increased the risk of domestic violence, and caused challenges for aid workers.
Can Dirty-Air Discontent in New Delhi Push India Toward Greener Days?

Mar 22, 2018

The dirty downside to India's dramatic economic growth is New Delhi's horrific off-the-charts air pollution, writes student Gulrez Shah Azhar (cohort '14). Public health officials comparing the harms of breathing in India's capital to smoking dozens of cigarettes a day. How bad must things get before Indians demand change and make it stick?
Winter 2018 Issue of Findings Now Online

Mar 16, 2018

With details about Commencement Weekend; features on alumni Mark Schuster and Josh Weed; photos from the APPAM regional conference, the holiday party, and the inaugural ping pong tournament organized by Brown Faculty Chairs; and much more, the winter issue of our quarterly newsletter continues Pardee RAND's goal of informing and entertaining alumni.
Q&A with Mark Schuster, Founding Dean of Kaiser Med School

Mar 15, 2018

Alum Mark Schuster (cohort '91) says he sees many similarities between the Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine, where he is the founding dean, and Pardee RAND: "The school is innovating and reinventing public policy graduate education much like we are reinventing medical education." He also shares how Pardee RAND has influenced his career.
Students Shine at APPAM California Regional Conference

Mar 13, 2018

Pardee RAND students had a great showing at the APPAM regional conference March 9-10, and Sara Turner (cohort '15) won 2nd prize in the poster competition.
Evaluation of Mental Health Service Act in L.A. County Shows Services Reaching Those in Need

Mar 13, 2018

Los Angeles County uses Mental Health Services Act funds programs to reach at-risk populations. Students Gulrez Shah Azhar and Margaret Chamberlin found that the county was able to offer services and prevention efforts that lowered both homelessness and the need for psychiatric hospitalizations, while improving employment and wellbeing.
Gaza on the Brink

Mar 9, 2018

The combined risk of violence and pandemic in Gaza makes this small coastal enclave a ticking time bomb, writes Prof. Shira Efron (alum, cohort '11). While neither Israel nor the U.S. has the solutions to all of Gaza's water and health woes, the United States' decision to withhold funding to the U.N. Relief and Works Agency could only make things worse.
Open Science and a Culture of Health: You Two Should Talk

Mar 7, 2018

By working together, writes Prof. Sean Grant, the Culture of Health and Open Science movements could increase their potential to accelerate the use of scientific evidence to address impediments to population health and collective well-being.
One Belt, One Road, One Ruler: China Term Limits Ban Imperils Progress

Mar 6, 2018

The abolition of presidential term limits in China represents a sea change in Communist Party politics and signals the consolidation of personalist rule by President Xi Jinping. Student Bill Gelfeld (cohort '14) explains that deviations from term limits are deleterious for good governance, political rights, and accountability.
Dean's Movie Night Features The Post

Mar 6, 2018

Pardee RAND held a special screening of the recent movie about the Pentagon Papers. Prof. Molly Selvin moderated a post-screening panel that featured RAND president Michael Rich and media rights attorney and former LA Times First Amendment counsel Karlene Goller. They discussed the film, first amendment law, and how the Pentagon Papers impacted RAND.
Giving Spotlight: Josh and Kristin Weed Continue Family Tradition

Mar 6, 2018

For alum Josh Weed (cohort '01) and his wife Kristin, giving back to Pardee RAND is a family affair. They have a strong sense of giving back to the school, and are regular donors. They also attend commencement whenever possible, and Josh conducts alumni interviews with applicants to school.
Ready, Set, College

Mar 5, 2018

With at least $1 billion going toward developmental education, writes alum Lindsay Daugherty (cohort '05), states and colleges have started to rethink their approaches to reform. But it may be too soon for states to put into place broad “one size fits all” policies. In the meantime, should states do nothing?
The Science of Gun Policy

Mar 2, 2018

What does the scientific evidence tell us about the effects of gun policies? Students Eric Apaydin, John Speed Meyers, and Rouslan Karimov worked on the RAND Gun Policy in America initiative, coauthoring a report that assesses the available evidence for the effects of commonly proposed gun laws on firearm deaths, violent crime, suicide, the gun industry, hunting and sport shooting, and other outcomes.
'Alexa, What Do You Know About Me, and Who Are You Telling?'

Mar 1, 2018

Professors Osonde Osoba and Bill Welser, with RAND colleague Rebecca Balebako, discussed the prevalence of artificial intelligence and how it affects privacy. They raised questions about fairness and equity in regard to privacy and data use, but also highlighted positive trends and developments in the evolving AI-privacy landscape.
What Next for China-Pakistan Relations?

Feb 26, 2018

The recent downgrade in U.S.-Pakistan relations will present both opportunities and challenges for China, writes student Keren Zhu (cohort '17). Beijing can use the recent strain to promote a new model of international development, but must be wary of becoming the sole external power responsible for maintaining stability in the region.
Designing and Implementing Corequisite Models of Developmental Education

Feb 23, 2018

Alum Lindsey Daugherty (cohort '05) and students Diana Gehlhaus Carew ('15) and Alexandra Mendoza-Graf ('16) examined the implementation of integrated reading and writing corequisites—a reform to developmental education that accelerates students into college-level courses, while providing academic support—in Texas community colleges.
The Long Game on Infrastructure

Feb 20, 2018

The Trump administration recently announced its Legislative Outline for Rebuilding Infrastructure in America. But with its lack of new federal funding, write Profs. Debra Knopman and Martin Wachs, the plan may not be the best path to fixing America's most serious regional, national and long-term problems.