RAND Policy Circle Events
RAND Policy Forums, presentations of the Distinguished Speaker Series and other informal panel dialogues, roundtables and briefings, provide an opportunity to discuss research on the nation's toughest policy problems with the RAND analysts who tackle them. Policy Circle members are always given first priority to attend these prestigious events. Below is a selection of events held over the past 18 months.
For more information or to become a Policy Circle member, please call Tamara Turoff Keough in the Development Office 310.393.0411 x6270. All events hosted at the Santa Monica Headquarters unless otherwise noted.
Upcoming events for Policy Circle Members
Santa Monica Policy Forum
Issues Over the Horizon: A Look at Tomorrow's Front-Burner Issues Today
Date: |
May 15, 2008 |
Time: |
5:30 P.M. – Registration |
Location: |
The RAND Corporation |
Program
For 60 years, the RAND Corporation has helped shape sound public policy by staying ahead of the curve—identifying emerging policy challenges early on and formulating effective, practical solutions of enduring value. Please join us in commemorating our 60th anniversary with a discussion of several of tomorrow's front-burner issues—and what we can and should be doing about them today.
Featured Presentations
- Corporate America's Next Big Scandal
Robert Reville, Director, RAND Institute for Civil Justice - Reality Check for Defense Spending
James Quinlivan, Senior Military Analyst and Mathematician, RAND - The Boomers Are Coming
Melinda Beeuwkes Buntin, Codirector, Bing Center for Health Economics, RAND - Moderator:
James A. Thomson, President and Chief Executive Officer, RAND
To Attend
Policy Circle members receive reserved seating for all Policy Forum events. If you would like to participate and are not yet a Policy Circle member, please contact Tamara Turoff Keough at Tamara_Keough@rand.org or (310) 393-0411 ext. 6270. You may also visit http://www.rand.org/giving/policy_circle/ to join the Policy Circle today.
RAND Policy Forums are a series of public programs designed to inform and inspire debate on a specific, timely policy issue. RAND Policy Forums are non-partisan and offer a unique opportunity for intellectual fellowship, community engagement and high-level deliberation of important policy matters.
Recent events for members included:
Santa Monica Policy Forum
Coming Up Dry? Climate Change and California's Water Supply
Across the United States, cities, regions, and states recognize that they must prepare to adapt to the local effects of our warming planet. RAND has pioneered new approaches to help public- and private-sector actors develop response plans that will ensure adequate and affordable water supplies across a wide range of possible climate futures. Moderated by Debra Knopman, Vice President, RAND Corporation; Director, RAND Infrastructure, Safety, and Environment, this forum brought together Jeffrey Kightlinger, one of Southern California's leading water policymakers; Robert Lempert, senior physical scientist RAND; and David Groves, associate policy researcher RAND to explore the implications of climate change for California's water needs and what can and should be done now to prepare for an unpredictable future.
April 17, 2008
Geopolitics in 2008 and Beyond: Is There Any Good News?
Presented by Ambassador Robert Blackwill
Ambassador Robert Blackwill, former U.S. Ambassador to India and former Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Planning, visited our Santa Monica headquarters and engaged RAND Policy Circle members in a discussion regarding his observations on the future of U.S. foreign policy in an increasingly complex geopolitical environment.
January 10, 2008
Santa Monica Policy Forum
China Rising? Asia, America, and the Transformation of Geopolitics
China has transformed in dramatic ways over the past 25 years and wields increasing influence on the global stage. With a rapidly growing economy, new political leaders, and more-stable relations with its Asian neighbors, China is on the rise. But response, both in the United States and the rest of Asia, has been cautious. This forum featured William H. Overholt, Director, RAND Center for Asia Pacific Policy, and Donald Tang, Vice Chairman, Bear Stearns & Co., Inc.; Chairman, Asia Society Southern California; Trustee, RAND Corporation, who discussed the myths and realities of China's impact on the changing geopolitical landscape.
November 29, 2007
Santa Monica Policy Forum
Back to School: The Impact and Promise of No Child Left Behind
The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) was intended to ensure that all children in public school are proficient in reading and math by 2014. Now, midway toward the target proficiency date, NCLB is up for reauthorization. This forum featured Brian Stecher, Senior Social Scientist, RAND Corporation, Ron Zimmer, Policy Analyst, RAND Corporation and Ramon Cortines, Deputy Mayor for Education, Youth, and Families, Office of Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa to discuss if NCLB is working to close the achievement gap in U.S. schools; if the effects of the Act's complex requirements can be untangled to identify areas of success and opportunities for improvement; and how students, teachers, and schools are faring under the Act.
September 26, 2007
Santa Monica Policy Forum
Gridlock in Los Angeles: Getting Past the Standstill
Worsening traffic congestion on the streets and freeways of Los Angeles is an issue of constant concern to the L.A. public, media, and local business community. With the region suffering the economic, environmental, and psychological costs of congestion, demand for relief is high. This forum brought Martin Wachs, Director, Transportation, Space and Technology Program, RAND Corporation together with Richard Katz, Former California State Assemblyman; Board Member, Metropolitan Transit Authority and Zev Yaroslavsky, Chairman, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to discuss realistic strategies for Los Angeles to move forward on the issue of traffic congestion and get past the current standstill.
July 26, 2007
Go Behind the Data:
An interactive look at RAND's latest innovation
Analysts in RAND Labor and Population have developed innovative methods for capturing data that furthers our understanding of why people make the decisions they do and how markets, society, and policy affect them. This technique - called Multimode Interviewing Capability (MMIC™) – takes advantage of the benefits afforded by today's communication technologies. Policy Circle members participated in live, interactive surveys and learned how answers like the ones they provided are relied on by policymakers to make critical decisions that affect all of us.
June 20, 2007
RAND Distinguished Speaker Series
Admiral Thad W. Allen
Admiral Thad W. Allen, 23rd Commandant of the United States Coast Guard, is charged with protecting the American public, the environment, and U.S. economic and security interests in all maritime regions—both internationally and at home. Admiral Allen will address such issues as the key challenges faced by the nation and today's Coast Guard; the Coast Guard's strategy for addressing these challenges; and how Southern California residents and businesses benefit from a ready, aware, and responsive Coast Guard.
April 19, 2007
Santa Monica Policy Forum
The Beginner's Guide to Nation-Building
James Dobbins, Director, International Security and Defense Policy Center, RAND National Security Research Division, discussed his new book, The Beginner's Guide to Nation-Building. The book is intended to help practitioners avoid repeating earlier mistakes, help political leaders evaluate the cost and likelihood of success in any proposed operation, and help citizens evaluate their government's consequent performance.
March 14, 2007
Santa Monica Policy Forum
Homelessness in Los Angeles
Paul Koegel, associate director of RAND Health, led a distinguished panel who examined and discussed strategies for addressing homelessness in the Los Angeles region. Panelists included Suzanne L. Wenzel, senior behavioral scientist, RAND Corporation; Torie Osborn, Special Advisor to Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa; and Ed Edelman, Special Representative for Homeless Initiatives, City of Santa Monica.
February 22, 2007
Santa Monica Policy Forum
A Vision for the Arts In Los Angeles: Opportunities and Challenges
RAND Social Research Analyst Elizabeth Ondaatje moderated a distinguished panel of Los Angeles arts leaders including Michael Govan, Director and CEO of Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Adolfo V. Nodal, Former General Manager, City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department, Michael Ritchie, Artistic Director of Center Theatre Group and RAND Senior Social Scientist Kevin McCarthy as they explored the complex factors that help shape the structure of and support for arts in Los Angeles.
October 5, 2006
Distinguished Speaker Series
America at the Crossroads: The Future of American Foreign Policy
Special Guest Speaker: Francis Fukuyama
Noted academic, political theorist, and best-selling author Francis Fukuyama discussed his new book, America at the Crossroads: Democracy, Power, and the Neoconservative Legacy, and shared his perspective on issues at the forefront of the current debate on foreign policy.
June 22, 2006
Santa Monica Policy Forum
Katrina's Legacy: Recovery Challenges in the Gulf States and Implications for L.A.
John K. Van de Kamp, Chairman, RAND Infrastructure, Safety and Environment Advisory Board; Former California Attorney General, introduced a panel of experts who led a frank examination of the problems revealed and exacerbated by Katrina. An informed dialogue about what public- and private-sector decisionmakers need to know to successfully build a better future in the affected region followed. Panelists included: Debra Knopman, (moderator) Vice President, RAND Corporation; Director, RAND Infrastructure, Safety and Environment, George Penick, Director, RAND Gulf States Policy Institute, Kavita Patel, RAND Analyst and physician; Credentialed First Responder, P. Michael Freeman, Fire Chief, Los Angeles County Fire Department; Chairman, International Association of Fire Chiefs Terrorism Task Force; Member, U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Emergency Responder Advisory Committee, Robert Sypult, Director of Corporate Security and Emergency Preparedness, Southern California Edison; Member, Homeland Security Advisory Council, Region 1
April 20, 2006
Santa Monica Roundtable Breakfast
Many Happy Returns: The Promise of Early Childhood Development
Featuring Jill S. Cannon, Associate Director, RAND Child Policy, Lynn A. Karoly, Senior Economist, Gail Zellman, Senior Research Psychologist.
May 25, 2006
Santa Monica Policy Forum
Winds of Change in the Middle East presented by His Excellency Ambassador Nabil Fahmy, the Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to the Unites States. Ambassador Fahmy is internationally recognized for his expertise in the fields of disarmament and international security.
February 22, 2006
The Albert P. Williams Memorial Health Lecture Series
The Fifty Percent of Health and Medical Care Cost that Produces No Value
Guest Lecturer, former Secretary of the Treasury Paul O'Neill
This event was the fourth lecture in the memorial series created in celebration of Al Williams' tradition of creative, objective research and analysis aimed at improving the health of people everywhere.
January 31, 2006
Please contact Tamara Turoff Keough (Tamara_Keough@rand.org) for further information.
Top