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Calendar of Events

    Past Events

  • New York City Police officers watch protesters during a peaceful demonstration, as communities react to the shooting of Michael Brown in New York's Times Square August 14, 2014

    Strengthening Police-Community Trust

    May 6, 2015

    Chief of Police Cameron McLay joins Councilman R. Daniel Lavelle and RAND's director of Safety and Justice, Brian Jackson, for a conversation moderated by Fred Thieman, president of the Buhl Foundation and former U.S. attorney for Western Pennsylvania, about why building and maintaining trust between police and the public is critical for the health of American democracy.

  • TV series Homeland publicity poster

    How Accurate Is TV's Portrayal of Terrorism?

    May 6, 2015

    Many hit TV shows, movies, and books center on terrorists and the fight against them. No one knows better than award-winning writer, producer, and author Howard Gordon that terrorism sells. Gordon, whose credits include Homeland and 24, will discuss the allure of terrorism in entertainment, and how its depiction differs from the reality of terrorism on the ground.

  • TV series Homeland publicity poster

    How Accurate Is TV's Portrayal of Terrorism?

    May 6, 2015

    Acclaimed television writer, producer, and author Howard Gordon joins 30-year CIA veteran and RAND senior policy analyst Andrew Liepman for a discussion about the allure of terrorism as a subject for entertainment in this Events @ RAND podcast.

  • A globe puzzle

    Decisions for the Decade Game: Planning Under Deep Uncertainty

    Mar 25, 2015

    How do you engage decisionmakers in thinking about long-term, hard-to predict risks? RANDNext members will play an interactive game intended to promote discussion about the integration of global policy and real world decisionmaking.

  • A couple in bed though the woman is suffering from insomnia

    Sleep's Role in Society and Policy

    Mar 10, 2015

    Sleep deprivation is estimated to cost U.S. businesses more than $150 billion per year in absences, accidents, and lost productivity. Learn about RAND research on sleep and why it should factor into such policy decisions as setting school start times, scheduling workers' shifts, and ensuring the health and readiness of U.S. military personnel and their families.

  • MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial attack vehicle in flight

    The Use of Long-Range Armed Drones: Fact v. Myth

    Mar 3, 2015

    The Obama administration announced a new policy setting standards for exporting and using armed drones which will allow for the wider export of armed drones to allied nations. A panel of RAND experts will seek to dispel some of the myths that have arisen with respect to the use of long-range armed drones.

  • Walter O'Brien

    Meet the Real Scorpion

    Feb 18, 2015

    The CBS TV show Scorpion tells the story of an international network of super-geniuses who form the last line of defense against the complex threats of the modern age. The real-life inspiration for the show, Walter O'Brien, will explain how his company applies high IQ, computer science, and artificial intelligence to mitigate risk and solve global problems.

  • Student raising her hand during class

    Reauthorizing ESEA: Key Issues and Federal Oversight Are Up for Debate

    Feb 18, 2015

    This might be the year that Congress reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary School Act. However, debate continues over some of the law's key components and the appropriate federal role in annual assessments, state accountability, and teaching effectiveness.

  • Official movie poster of Food Chains

    Fairness for Farmworkers: A Private Screening of Food Chains

    Feb 11, 2015

    The documentary Food Chains tells the story of a coalition of tomato workers in Florida who are working with buyers and growers to turn the worst agricultural labor conditions in the United States into the best. Join us for an exclusive viewing and conversation with executive producer Eric Schlosser.

  • Panel discussion at screening of Food Chains on February 11, 2015

    A Movement to Ensure Fairness for Farmworkers

    Feb 11, 2015

    A screening of the documentary Food Chains was followed by a discussion about farmworkers and their contribution to agriculture and our food supply.

  • Marijuana plants

    Insights About Marijuana Legalization in the United States

    Jan 21, 2015

    Marijuana legalization is a complex issue under serious debate. As Vermont prepares to vote on legalization, this briefing reviews a RAND report that analyzes income-earning potential for the state, marijuana policy in the U.S. and abroad, alternatives to marijuana prohibition, and how federal-state conflicts can impact policy choices.

  • Call with the Experts: Implications of the Paris Shootings

    Jan 14, 2015

    In this excerpt from an exclusive RAND Policy Circle Call, RAND terrorism experts discuss the deadly shootings at the satirical news magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris that have raised fears of a larger, more coordinated form of religiously-motivated terrorism throughout Europe and the West.

  • courthouse facade

    UCLA-RAND Center for Law & Public Policy Conference

    Jan 12, 2015

    This conference aims to foster discussion and debate around state court budgeting and develop a community of practice around decisionmaking in order to improve methods and tools and facilitate their use in practice in an era of fiscal austerity.

  • Delegations of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Britain's Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, EU High Representative Catherine Ashton, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi sit around the negotiations table during their meeting in Vienna November 24, 2014

    Congressional Options and Their Likely Consequences for a Nuclear Deal with Iran

    Dec 16, 2014

    With nuclear negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 now extended beyond the original Nov. 24 deadline, some members of Congress might now attempt to intervene legislatively. RAND analyst Larry Hanauer will discuss eight potential courses of action that Congress could take that might either facilitate, hinder, or block implementation of a deal.

  • U.S. Army Soldiers run to UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters after conducting a search for weapons caches in Albu Issa, Iraq, March 2008

    Lessons from 13 Years of War

    Dec 10, 2014

    During the past 13 years of war, U.S. conventional and special operations forces worked more closely together than in any previous conflict. Linda Robinson will discuss how special operations forces can be applied in Iraq and Syria and how the U.S. can apply the broad lessons of these years to a future strategy.

  • President Barack Obama, left, and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, right, during their bilateral meeting at the G20 Summit in St. Petersburg, Russia, Sept. 5, 2013

    The U.S.-Japan Alliance Conference Series

    Dec 5, 2014

    The U.S.-Japan alliance is the cornerstone of the U.S. presence in Asia. A series of three discussions with RAND experts and guest speakers (Nov. 6, Nov. 7, and Dec. 5) will explore new issues that have arisen for the alliance as a result of rapid, dramatic changes in the security, economic, and technological environments of Northeast Asia.

  • Turkish demonstrators chant Islamic slogans as they set fire to US and Israeli flags outside the Beyazit mosque in Istanbul, January 9, 2009

    The Challenges for Democracies Facing Asymmetric Conflicts

    Dec 4, 2014

    While conventional warfare between nations declined in the past half-century, democratic countries increasingly have become involved in conflicts with non-state actors. Join us for a discussion of lessons learned in using military force in response to terrorism, as well as the legal, ethical, and moral implications of doing so.

  • Satellite space station

    Space Talk Launches Politics Aside

    Nov 14, 2014

    Hundreds of guests packed the Cary Grant Theatre at Sony Studios to kick off RAND's Politics Aside event with a discussion on space technology, policy, and leadership. Matt Miller, columnist, author, and radio host moderated the panel, which included Simonetta Di Pippo, Director of the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs; George Whitesides, CEO of Virgin Galactic; and NASA astronaut Cady Coleman.

  • Advertisement from 1957 for "America's Independent Electric Light and Power Companies" showing an autonomous car

    Self-Driving Vehicles

    Nov 5, 2014

    Self-driving cars are in the news, on the road, and, potentially, the future of driving. RAND senior behavioral scientist James Anderson and Allen Biehler, a distinguished service professor of transportation systems and policy at CMU's Heinz College, will lead a discussion about the potential benefits and drawbacks of driverless cars.

  • Advertisement from 1957 for "America's Independent Electric Light and Power Companies" showing an autonomous car

    Self-Driving Vehicles

    Oct 28, 2014

    Self-driving cars are in the news, on the road, and the future of driving. RAND information scientist Nidhi Kalra will lead a discussion of research on the potential benefits, drawbacks, and implications of driverless cars.

  • A view of an island above and below water

    The Elements of Surprise

    Oct 15, 2014

    Professionals today are expected to respond to more variables at a faster rate than was the case even a decade ago. RAND senior engineer Dave Baiocchi will discuss coping strategies and specific responses taken by various professionals that can help you better prepare for and respond to surprise.

  • A woman consoles her husband who is depressed

    Issues in Focus: Helping American Veterans and Their Caregivers

    Sep 23, 2014

    America's military caregivers are an essential part of the nation's ability to care for returning wounded warriors, but their own needs are often neglected. Terri Tanielian, a RAND senior social research analyst, will discuss this critical issue. Register online to attend this program in Santa Monica, Calif.

  • group of people at a seminar

    RAND Public Policy Analysis Workshop for Congressional Staffers

    Aug 5, 2014

    This two-day analysis training workshop will provide legislative staffers with an introduction to policy analysis tools and techniques as well as an understanding of how they can be used to improve the quality of public policy decisionmaking.

  • Simon Sinek

    Distinguished Speaker Series: Simon Sinek

    Jul 23, 2014

    Author Simon Sinek will discuss his new book, Leaders Eat Last, and how to create stable, adaptive, confident teams, where everyone feels they belong and all energies are focused on facing the common enemy and seizing big opportunities.

  • Highway traffic

    A New Way to Pay for Transportation: Exploring a Shift from Fuel Taxes to Mileage-Based User Fees

    Jun 26, 2014

    Increasing fuel efficiency and the rise of alternative fuel vehicles that do not use gasoline have led to growing shortfalls in federal and state funding for surface transportation programs — shortfalls that are likely to become even more acute in coming years. In this Congressional Briefing, Liisa Ecola will discuss innovations in the use of mileage-based fees.