RAND Research Briefs help to present the findings of key research in an easy-to-digest format. These are among the research briefs published since the last issue of the Alumni Bulletin.
This brief summarizes seven lessons from the past 13 years of war and identifies critical requirements for land forces, special operations forces, and partners to collaborate successfully.
This brief highlights findings of a study of early progress of New Haven Promise, a place-based scholarship program focusing on college preparation, access, and enrollment.
This brief summarizes a study of baseline conditions and early progress of two educational efforts in Connecticut: New Haven School Change, a sweeping K–12 educational reform, and New Haven Promise, a scholarship program.
This brief summarizes an assessment of an Army program to enhance adaptability in leaders and promote innovative solutions in training for and conducting unified land operations.
Gregory Treverton
In June 2014, James R. Clapper, director of National Intelligence, announced the selection of Gregory Treverton as the new chairman of the National Intelligence Council.
According to Clapper, "Greg brings a unique combination of world-class analytic skills, a vast network of global thought leaders, and practical experience working in government at the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, the National Security Council and the NIC as the former vice chairman. Greg’s rare combination of broad substantive expertise, passion for the intelligence profession and deep understanding of the NIC’s unique role and mission makes him the right person for this position at exactly the right time."
Greg most recently served as director of the RAND Center for Global Risk and Security.
Donald and Susan Rice
Photo by Diane Baldwin/RAND
Pardee RAND Graduate School has benefited from several generous gifts this year, from RAND alumni and friends alike.
Before he passed away in August, John Cazier donated $5 million to establish the John and Carol Cazier Environmental and Energy Sustainability Initiative at Pardee RAND. The initiative is designed to help generate new concepts, tools, and methods to share findings, ideas, and insights clearly and broadly. The aim is to improve public policy, foster better practices in the field, and apply these to the commercial sector to benefit people throughout the world. A key focus will be in the areas of quantitative policy analysis and robust planning under conditions of deep uncertainty concerning the future of energy and the environment.
Additionally, RAND alumni Donald and Susan Rice donated $1 million to support Pardee RAND's 'Be the Answer' Campaign and establish a third endowed scholarship. Rice Scholars for 2014–2015 are doctoral candidates Gulrez Azhar, Lisa Jonsson, and Xiaoyu Nie.
James Schlesinger
A Council on Foreign Relations blog featured the late James Schlesinger in a year-end review of "ten Americans who died in 2014 who through their vision, service, intellect, or courage helped shape U.S. foreign policy. They will be missed." We wholeheartedly agree.
James R. Schlesinger (b. 1929) served as secretary of defense under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, and he was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to be the first secretary of energy. The New York City native attended Harvard, where he earned a B.A. and a Ph.D. in economics. He then taught at the University of Virginia and worked at the RAND Corporation. In 1969, Nixon made him an assistant director of the Bureau of the Budget (now known as the Office of Management and Budget). Later, Nixon appointed him head of the Atomic Energy Commission (now known as the Nuclear Regulatory Agency) and then CIA director. In his five months at the agency he ordered an investigation into its illegal practices and he fired about 10 percent of its staff. In 1973, Nixon appointed Schlesinger secretary of defense. Schlesinger was notable for the pipe he constantly smoked and for his hardline attitude on national security. He advocated for what became known as the “Schlesinger Doctrine,” which would have required the United States to develop a strategy for winning a limited nuclear war. He didn’t get along well with President Ford, who fired him in 1975. Schlesinger quickly rebounded. President Carter made him an advisor on energy policy, and when the Department of Energy was formed, he appointed Schlesinger secretary.
