Calendar of Events

    Past Events

  • 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.

  • Stethoscope and U.S. currency

    Premium Tax Credits and the Affordable Care Act: The Potential Ramifications of King v. Burwell

    Feb 3, 2015

    In February 2015, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case of King v. Burwell, a challenge to the legality of the regulation authorizing premium tax credits in federally facilitated exchanges. What does this mean for the Affordable Care Act and consumers in these states?

  • 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.

  • aerial view of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

    Water Management and Climate Resilience in Pittsburgh

    Jun 24, 2014

    Pittsburgh has one of the worst combined sewer overflow problems in the nation. The EPA is closely monitoring ALCOSAN's Wet Weather Plan, a portion of which is dedicated to developing green infrastructure and supporting flow reduction. Experts will discuss this important issue and ways to help the region.

  • Hyperloop sketch

    Distinguished Speaker Series: Marco Villa

    Jun 24, 2014

    Marco Villa, adviser to the Hyperloop next-generation transportation system, will be the featured speaker in RAND's Distinguished Speaker Series on June 24, 2014.

  • An image of one of the original World Trade Center Towers is displayed in the window of the 9/11 Memorial Museum pavilion during the dedication ceremony in New York, May 15, 2014

    The Future of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act: Expiration, Reauthorization, Modification

    Jun 11, 2014

    To inform the debate on whether TRIA should be reauthorized, modified, or allowed to expire, RAND experts will present the findings of their recent work on this topic and address different facets of this complex issue, including the pros and cons of proposed TRIA modifications.

  • 911,9-11-2001,memorial,landmark,11,fountains,new,york,9-11,zero,ground,downtown,destination,america,usa,travel,anniversary,wtc,skyline,modern,historic,manhattan,states,terrorism,city,tourism,nyc,trade,remember,9,water,site,construction,plaza,glass

    Conference on the Future of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act

    Jun 10, 2014

    To inform the debate on whether TRIA should be continued or allowed to expire, RAND is convening a conference that will bring together stakeholders to not only discuss the varying implications of TRIA’s expiration, modification, and extension, but also to frame how it is debated in the halls of Congress and across the country.

  • The United Nations headquarters building is pictured in Vienna where six world powers and Iran launched the decisive phase of diplomacy over Tehran's nuclear work on May 14, 2014

    Israeli, Saudi, and Iranian Responses in the Days After a Deal With Iran: What Are the U.S. Options?

    Jun 4, 2014

    RAND experts will discuss the likely concerns and reactions of Israel and Saudi Arabia and the internal power dynamics and motivations of the Iranian government. Understanding these factors and U.S. options to address them will be critical for policymakers to implement a final nuclear agreement.