Technical Professions

commentary

How the Military Might Expand Its Cyber Skills

The U.S. military will need to improve its software fluency if it wants to be dominant on the battlefields of the future. Ensuring that future leaders in the military develop cyber skills and the ability to interface with technical experts may be increasingly important.

James Ryseff

commentary

How to Actually Recruit Talent for the AI Challenge

In the global race to dominate AI technologies, talent is everything. The Pentagon should consider redesigning its personnel policies to accommodate a much greater degree of speed and permeability in its cyber and AI workforce, regardless of what pay and benefits it offers.

James Ryseff

commentary

How Community Colleges Can Establish Better Partnerships with Employers

Career and technical education programs give students a chance to engage in learning relevant to their chosen fields and apply immediately for jobs. A strategic vision of collaboration between industry and community colleges can benefit all parties.

Rita T. Karam

commentary

Book Review: 'The Woman Who Smashed Codes' by Jason Fagone

'The Woman Who Smashed Codes' by Jason Fagone is the story of Elizebeth Friedman, the mother of modern cryptoanalysis and cryptography. She broke coded messages of organized crime, broke the Nazi Enigma cryptography machine, and deciphered, mapped, and monitored Nazi activities in South America, though it is her husband William who often gets credit.

Cortney Weinbaum @cortney_dc

commentary

Ending the 'Brogrammer' Culture: How to Close the Gender Gap

Despite recent progress, women are significantly outnumbered in technology, comprising only 30 percent of the workforce worldwide. It's up to society, governments, and technology companies to close the gap. Improving internet access, education, and career opportunities for women could help.

Lucy Hocking

commentary

Cybersecurity Badge: One Big Step for Girl Scouts, Potentially Giant Leap for Women

The Girl Scouts will start offering 18 cybersecurity badges next year. In addition to exposing girls to cyber concepts and challenges, this could encourage them to pursue cybersecurity or other STEM careers in which women are underrepresented.

Lara Schmidt

blog

How the Drinking Bird Foiled a Spruce Goose Engineer

The famous drinking bird toy gave RAND's Dick Murrow an idea that might help Egyptian farmers. But Murrow, who previously led Howard Hughes's Spruce Goose design team, couldn't secure funding to get the concept off the ground.

commentary

Reservists and the National Guard Offer Untapped Resources for Cybersecurity

More than 100,000 personnel in the Army National Guard and the U.S. Army Reserve have some degree of cyber competence, including thousands with deep or mid-level expertise. They could help defend the cyber terrain on which America's national security, prosperity, and democracy depend.

Isaac R. Porche III, Brian D. Wisniewski

commentary

On 'Hidden Figures' and Being the Only Woman in the Room

RAND's Susan Marquis discusses the three brilliant African-American women depicted in the film Hidden Figures, the critical role of women in RAND's history, and more.

Susan L. Marquis

commentary

To Increase Diversity in Tech, We Need to Rethink What 'Tech' Is

Rethinking what defines today's tech jobs, along with greater investment in public-private partnerships, could go a long way toward bridging the diversity gap.

Diana Gehlhaus

commentary

The Brains Behind Autonomous Vehicles May Need a License to Drive

Autonomous vehicles require exquisite software. To make this software secure, industry and government should consider educational standards and licensure requirements for the engineers who create it.

Isaac R. Porche III

commentary

Getting Technical: Preparing High School Students for the Workforce America Needs

Fields such as computers, engineering, and health care are expected to grow. Employers and policymakers have a vested interest in ensuring that America's high schoolers are ready to meet future employment needs. Access to high-quality career and technical education programs is key.

Gabriella C. Gonzalez, Robert Bozick

commentary

Back to Work: Middle-Skill Jobs in the STEM Economy

The STEM economy will grow by 17 percent through 2018, with expected job vacancies totaling 2.4 million. Middle-skill STEM jobs—such as computer support specialists, web developers, and engineering technicians—are in the highest demand.

Gabriella C. Gonzalez, Robert Bozick

commentary

Infrastructure Design Must Change with Climate

Until recently, infrastructure engineers could use data on past weather to predict future climate. But this is no longer an option. More and more, engineers must consider the effects of climate change. Failure to do so would threaten public safety.

Robert J. Lempert @RobertLempert

commentary

Why Engineers Need to Be Thinking About Climate Change

As sea levels rise and extreme weather events become more common, evacuation routes in coastal areas will become more important. Transportation engineers need to be more proactive as they try to anticipate damage to transportation infrastructure assets such as pavement, bridges, and culverts.

Kenneth Kuhn

blog

Test Your RAND Knowledge on Jeopardy!

RAND was once a category on the long-running TV game show Jeopardy! How much money could you have won? Take the quiz and find out.

commentary

The Realities of Silicon Valley's Lack of Workforce Diversity

Major Silicon Valley tech firms have released statistics indicating their workforces are largely made up of white men. Corporate America is on the receiving end of a complex chain of social and educational factors that continue to leave minorities behind in terms of college graduation, and both minorities and women behind in terms of STEM degrees.

Lawrence M. Hanser, Nelson Lim

commentary

What to Make of P-TECH Schools

There is no doubting the viability of STEM skills in the 21st century job market and the long-term benefits of going to college. But the P-TECH program could be promising for two reasons that have nothing to do with technology.

Rafiq Dossani

blog

Thomas V. Jones, Risk-Taking CEO Who Propelled Northrop's Expansion, Revolutionized Aerospace Industry

Thomas V. Jones, the Stanford-educated engineer who authored a bestselling RAND report in the early 1950s on U.S. Air Force transport options before becoming chief executive of Northrop, died January 7 at the age of 93.

announcement

Willis Ware Inducted Into the National Cyber Security Hall of Fame

The board of advisors for the National Cyber Security Hall of Fame has chosen Willis H. Ware, computer scientist emeritus at RAND, as one of its five inductees for the Class of 2013.

announcement

James Drake, 'Father of Windsurfing' and RAND Engineer, Dies at 83

James Drake, a former RAND aeronautical engineer who is also considered the father of windsurfing died on June 19 in his hometown of Pfafftown, North Carolina. He was 83.

commentary

Making Europe a Home Fit for the Next Einstein

Published commentary by RAND staff: Making Europe a Home Fit for the Next Einstein, in the Financial Times.

Erik J. Frinking, Titus Galama