RGS dissertations tackle tomorrow's problems and institutional realities. Many of the topics cross the usual boundaries of public, private, non-profit. For example, David Trinkle's dissertation concerns government-industry partnerships to advance automobile technology. Ann Stone is working with art museums to analyze how their collections might be better utilized within and across museums-and how public policies might help. Jennifer Hicks' research on health-care programs is enabling a consortium of the United Auto Workers, the big three auto companies, and government agencies to work together more effectively.
Many dissertations develop new analytical approaches.
David Persselin is pioneering the application of private-sector finance tools to government decisions about communications satellites and about aircraft replacement. John Pinder created a new simulation methodology for analyzing the Kosovo-style conflicts that may become more prevalent in the decades ahead. Other dissertations look ahead to new kinds of problems that may emerge-and what might be done about them. Lorne Teitelbaum is assessing the impact of the information revolution on the intelligence community. Geoffrey Sommer is working on policies to deal with the possible hazards of near-earth objects, and in general on how to think about very low probability events.