Technical Professions

Emerging Technologies

essay
The Power of Invention—and the Value of Diversity and Inclusion
Inventions benefit society and improve lives. Their economic impacts show the value of investing in more young people and their opportunities for learning. Policymakers could support programs that encourage more women, racial/ethnic minorities, and people from lower-income families to become inventors.
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May 4, 2021

Military Personnel Retention

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.
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Apr 22, 2021
James Ryseff
Technical Professions

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.
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Feb 5, 2020
James Ryseff
Workforce Development

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.
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Jun 6, 2019
Rita T. Karam
Female Populations

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.
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Feb 19, 2019
Cortney Weinbaum @cortney_dc
Gender Equity in the Workplace

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.
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May 17, 2018
Lucy Hocking
Gender Equity in the Workplace

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.
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Aug 3, 2017
Lara Schmidt
Engineers and Engineering

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.
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Jun 29, 2017
Critical Infrastructure Protection

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.
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Apr 18, 2017
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.
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Mar 12, 2017
Susan L. Marquis @susanlmarquis
Technical Professions

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.
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Nov 17, 2016
Diana Gehlhaus
Autonomous Vehicles

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.
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Sep 27, 2016
Isaac R. Porche III
Vocational Education

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.
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Aug 25, 2016
Gabriella C. Gonzalez, Robert Bozick
Technical Professions

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.
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Aug 24, 2016
Gabriella C. Gonzalez, Robert Bozick
Critical Infrastructure Protection

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.
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Aug 12, 2016
Robert J. Lempert @RobertLempert
Critical Infrastructure Protection

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.
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Feb 22, 2016
Kenneth Kuhn
Engineers and Engineering

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.
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May 5, 2015
Workforce Diversity

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.
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Oct 2, 2014
Lawrence M. Hanser, Nelson Lim
STEM Education

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.
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Feb 21, 2014
Rafiq Dossani
Military Aircraft

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.
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Jan 17, 2014
Data Science

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.
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Oct 17, 2013
Engineers and Engineering

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.
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Jun 22, 2012
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.
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Feb 22, 2006
Erik J. Frinking, Titus Galama