commentary
How Should Water Professionals Invest in Resilience?
Jul 12, 2017
Jordan R. Fischbach
Adjunct Policy Researcher
Pittsburgh Office
Education
Ph.D. in policy analysis, Pardee RAND Graduate School; M.Phil. in policy analysis, Pardee RAND Graduate School; B.A. in history, Columbia University
Media Resources
This researcher is available for interviews.
To arrange an interview, contact the RAND Office of Media Relations at (310) 451-6913, or email media@rand.org.
More ExpertsOverview
Jordan R. Fischbach (he/him) is an adjunct policy researcher at the RAND Corporation and the director of Planning and Policy Research at The Water Institute of the Gulf. He codirected the RAND Climate Resilience Center from 2015 to 2020, and his research focuses on climate adaptation, urban resilience, water resources management, coastal planning, and post-disaster recovery.
He is currently a coinvestigator for the NOAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments (MARISA) center. Since 2010, he has been the principal investigator for flood risk and damage assessment using the Coastal Louisiana Risk Assessment (CLARA) model in support of Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, and he currently leads projects supporting resilience planning and improved stormwater management in Pittsburgh. Fischbach served as quality assurance manager for the Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center (HSOAC), operated by the RAND Corporation, from 2019 to 2020. He also recently served on a National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine panel investigating long-term coastal zone dynamics on the U.S. Gulf Coast, and currently serves on its Water Science and Technology Board.
Fischbach earned a a Ph.D. in policy analysis from the Pardee RAND Graduate School in 2010, where he was awarded the Herbert Goldhamer Memorial Award, and a B.A. with honors in history from Columbia University. He was awarded a Bronze Medal in 2018 and a President's Choice award in 2012 at RAND.
Research Focus
Recent Projects
- Mid-Atlantic Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments (MARISA) Center
- Resilient Stormwater Management in Allegheny County and the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Region
- Applying the Coastal Louisiana Risk Assessment (CLARA) Model to Support Louisiana Coastal Planning
- Developing the City of Pittsburgh’s Resilience Strategy
- Integrated Analysis and Planning to Reduce Coastal Risk, Improve Water Quality, and Restore Ecosystems in Jamaica Bay, New York
Honors & Awards
- President's Choice Award, RAND Corporation
- Bronze Medal Award, RAND Corporation
- Herbert Goldhamer Memorial Award, Pardee RAND Graduate School
Recent Media Appearances
Interviews: City Channel Pittsburgh; KDKA-TV; WPSU-TV - Penn State University
