A RAND Family Affair

Close to 190 RAND alumni reunited in June for barbeque and banter at RAND’s Santa Monica headquarters campus. Alumni representing every decade from the 1950s to the present reminisced, reconnected, and recounted their RAND stories at the annual RAND Alumni Association (RAA) and Pardee RAND Alumni Summer Reunion.

Natalie Crawford, president of the RAA, thanked everyone for coming and reminded the attendees of the purpose of the evening—good food, friendship, and an appreciation for alumni contributions to RAND and to each other. Crawford told the audience that she always knew she wanted to work at RAND because it’s where smart people work. What has kept her at RAND for more than 50 years and what makes RAND special, she said, is the camaraderie, teamwork, and ability to collaborate with experts throughout the organization. Crawford also welcomed RAND’s summer associates and talked about the importance of Pardee RAND Graduate School students.

Susan Marquis, dean of Pardee RAND and vice president for innovation at RAND, described the history of the graduate school’s creation and the critical role the school plays—bringing new ideas, energy, and talent to RAND. She talked about innovations at Pardee RAND that will transform the field of policy analysis and help train future leaders.

Guests also heard from researchers Lois Davis, Priscillia Hunt, and Dionne Barnes-Proby, the current recipients of Alumni Impact Fund (AIF) support. They are collaborating on a project to help advance education opportunities and career prospects for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals. The researchers thanked RAND alumni for their financial contributions to the AIF and reminded guests that this support will continue to help extend the impact of RAND research.

Photos from the Alumni Summer Reunion

Click any image to see a larger version.