Senior Engineer; Professor of Policy Analysis, RAND School of Public Policy
Fabian E. Villalobos is a senior engineer at RAND and a professor of policy analysis at the RAND School of Public Policy. He is an inaugural fellow of RAND's Global Scholar Program. He manages RAND's Engineering and Applied Sciences Speaker Seminar Series.
Villalobos has an interest in the intersection of technology, economics, and geopolitics and primarily focuses on issues of national security. His work has included topics on emerging technologies, logistics, acquisitions, strategy, the defense industrial base, and China. He has a specific interest in the impact of electrification and critical minerals on technology, energy security, development, trade, climate, and international relations. Recent work includes critical mineral, battery, and semiconductor supply chains, U.S.-China technological competition, China's industrial policy, military deception, military electrification, and technological risk.
Villalobos has a background in materials science and chemical engineering. He is a co-inventor and co-author of patents. Previously, he worked in industry at startups and established manufacturers supporting R&D, product development, supply chains, quality assurance, business development, and more.
His commentary has been published in the World Economic Forum, The Hill, Barron's, DefenseNews, New Security Beat, and more. He has been quoted in the New York Times, PolitiFact, Factcheck.org, Indo-Pacific Defense Forum, The Wire China, and more. Villalobos has been invited to speak to a variety of domestic and foreign audiences on critical minerals and battery supply chains.
Villalobos received his Ph.D. in materials science from UC Riverside.
Ph.D. in materials science, UC Riverside; B.S. in chemical engineering, UC Riverside; A.A. in liberal arts, San Bernadino Valley College
