Student Spotlights and News

Analyzing Networks, Online and Off
Aug 4, 2020

Within the first few weeks of his arrival at Pardee RAND, Rouslan Karimov (cohort '15) attended two seminars that introduced him to network analysis and changed the course of his academic career. "I am very interested in the spread of information through communication networks," he said. Network analysis "really intrigued me."
Informing Decisions in Uncertain Times
Aug 3, 2020

"So many people don't understand DMU," student Max Izenberg (cohort '18) says of the set of methods known collectively as decision making under uncertainty. Whether he's exploring robust decision making among large organizations, or the mental models of individual stakeholders, "DMU helps me organize my thoughts."
Applying Causal Inference to Workforce and Higher Ed Research
May 29, 2020

Although she wasn't exposed to causal inference methods until she arrived at Pardee RAND, Hannah Acheson-Field (cohort '18) says she is grateful for her coursework and her work with the Center for Causal Inference, as they have opened her eyes to research and career possibilities.
Big Data + Small Stories = Better Policy
May 27, 2020

What Max Griswold (cohort '18) likes best about big data are the small stories. He sees scalable computing "as a means to an end, to improve policy. And you need to understand the stories, what the data looks like in the lived experience, to see the big picture."
Telling Stories with Mixed Methods
May 27, 2020

Her first course in qualitative and mixed methods didn't start out well, but by the end of the term, Gaby Alvarado (cohort '19) was a convert. A trained physician, she appreciates the chance to understand what is "going on in people's lives" so she can recommend policies that will work.
Students Present Research at Inaugural Showcase
Mar 12, 2020

At this inaugural event sponsored by Pardee RAND Career Services, students shared their current research and proposals with more than 50 local executives and entrepreneurs, who provided feedback and critiques.
Sitka Visit Focuses on Future Externship, Landslide Research
Mar 4, 2020

Students Gabriela Alvarado (cohort '19), Max Izenberg ('18), and Sara Turner ('15) visited Sitka, Alaska, in February with the Dean and faculty members. Alvarado met with local leaders to plan a community-partnered externship, while Izenberg and Turner took part in a research workshop on landslide early warning systems.
Three Students Create Pardee RAND Legacies
Dec 10, 2019

Students Alexandra Mendoza-Graf (Cohort '16), Ashley Woo ('18), and Sohaela Amiri ('16) didn't have far to look when they decided to pursue a Ph.D. in policy analysis. While forging their own paths, they are also following in the footsteps of relatives who also happen to be Pardee RAND alumni: Marlon Graf ('12), Jonathan Wong ('12), and Sara Amiri Cohort ('05).
LLNL Externships, Events Provide Experiential Learning
Dec 9, 2019

Through a partnership with the Center for Global Security Research (CGSR) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, four students have had the chance to hold externships, conduct research, and participate in global security conferences and events.
Hackathon Lets Students Explore Dark Web
Dec 4, 2019

Ten students worked on teams for three weeks this fall to use machine learning and analyze data from cryptomarkets — what one team called a "craigslist for illegal things" — stored on RAND's Dark Web Observatory.
APPAM Conferences Feature Students, Alumni
Aug 29, 2019

Dozens of students, alumni, faculty, and RAND colleagues are participating in the 2019 APPAM Fall Conference in Denver, and six students and alumni attended the 2019 APPAM International Conference in Barcelona this July.
A Wargame at RAND Puts Teen Girls in Command
Aug 20, 2019

As a student, Ellie Bartels (cohort '15) worked with her fellow RAND "Dames of War Games" to develop and host an event for young women to learn firsthand about national security. The day offered a lesson in strategy, in the hard realities behind news headlines, and also in agility and resilience.
Students, Faculty Participate in IPCC Working Conference in Nepal
Jul 31, 2019

With Cazier Initiative support, students David Catt (cohort '16) and Karishma Patel ('17) traveled to Kathmandu, Nepal, this summer with professors Robert Lempert and Ben Preston to attend the Second Lead Author Meeting for the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group II.
Students Compete in (and Win!) Hackathons
Dec 6, 2018

Sometimes described as "invention festivals," hackathons are multi-day events in which people collaborate intensively in an effort to solve a specific problem. Many hackathons involve technology — the word being a portmanteau of "hack" and "marathon" — but teams also include designers, subject-matter experts, and others. With the launch of the Tech and Narrative Lab, Pardee RAND has taken a leap into this area by hosting its own internal events and encouraging student participation in regional competitions.
OJT Project Leads to Decade of Research Collaboration
Sep 7, 2018

For more than a decade, alum Kartika Palar (cohort '06) and professor Kathryn Derose have been working together to reduce food insecurity among people with HIV. Student Gabriela Armenta ('15) recently joined them on a novel project in the Dominican Republic.
Mental Health Week Helps Students Relax — or Rock Out
Jun 6, 2018

CoCom organized Pardee RAND's third annual Mental Health Awareness Week last month to help students decompress before finals. Activities included pet therapy, tai chi, massage, yoga, a picnic lunch and yes, a jam session.
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.
Students Take Time to Stop and Paint the Flowers
May 26, 2017

CoCom hosted its second annual Mental Health Awareness Week this May to promote student and staff mental health, offer de-stressing activities, and help to strengthen Pardee RAND community ties. Activities included beach yoga, meditation, tai chi, massages, a group art project, and puppy therapy.
CoCom Hosts Second Annual RAND's Got Talent
Mar 7, 2017

Last year's inaugural RAND’s Got Talent set a high bar, but the performances by Pardee RAND students and RAND staff on March 3 prove that yes, RAND continues to have significant talent, and not just in the field of research.
Students Advise Big Blue Bus as Part of Client-Oriented Policy Analysis Course
Nov 7, 2016

Julia Pollak (cohort '12), Andrew Cady and Jakub Hlavka (both cohort '14) helped to optimize local transit connectivity by developing a robust set of performance measures for first- and last-mile bus services to the seven new Expo Light Rail stations on L.A.'s Westside.