Roland Stephen

Roland Stephen, Ph.D., is a senior economist in SRI International's Center for Science, Technology, and Economic Development. Stephen has more than 15 years of management and research experience focused on strategy, best practices, and finance for higher education and workforce institutions. This work is part of a broad commitment to regional and national economic growth, innovation, and technology-based development.

Current projects include strategic planning for a large, regional university in the Middle East, and analysis and evaluation of state funding of higher education. Over the last decade, Stephen has helped align higher education institutions around state economic development goals, and accelerate the growth of technology-intensive businesses though innovative policies and practices in workforce, infrastructure, and public finance. Outcomes include legislative proposals for tax reform, changes to state energy policy-making, and new initiatives in infrastructure finance. These projects involved data analysis, stakeholder engagement, expert presentations, and strategic planning among multiple partners.

Stephen holds a Ph.D. in international and comparative political economy from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a B.A. in history and economics from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.