Thomas Light

Thomas Light is a Senior Economist at the RAND Corporation and Professor of Policy Analysis at the RAND School of Public Policy. He specializes in military acquisition, logistics, transportation, and energy policy. His work includes cost analyses of defense programs, Air Force maintenance restructuring, highway expansion impacts, and climate policy strategies. Light holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Cornell University and has taught public finance at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. His research spans strategic policy evaluations, such as digital engineering benefits in defense acquisition, military personnel cost management, and congestion pricing equity. He has contributed to studies on Qatar’s school transportation system, Israel’s energy future, and spent nuclear fuel management.

Education: Ph.D. in Economics from Cornell University.

Research Focus: Military procurement challenges, logistics optimization, transportation infrastructure policy, energy security, and cost-benefit analyses. Notable areas include defense acquisition reform, greenhouse gas reduction strategies, and equitable transportation solutions.

Key Contributions: Frameworks for assessing digital engineering impacts, modeling military personnel trade-offs, and analyzing Air Force contractor logistics. His work bridges technical and policy domains, emphasizing practical applications for defense and infrastructure planning.