Zara Fatima Abdurahaman is a Ph.D. student in the Technology Applications and Implications Stream at Pardee RAND Graduate School and an assistant policy analyst at RAND. She has a B.Eng. in electrical and electronics engineering from the University of Nottingham, Malaysia Campus, Asia Pacific. Her research interests include emerging technologies, artificial intelligence, machine learning, energy, labor and workforce management, and ethics.

Prior to joining Pardee RAND, she was an engineer in the oil and gas sector, including at Halliburton Energy Services in Nigeria, where she designed and coordinated cementing operations. She was responsible for 2D/3D hydraulics design and software simulation, technical advising, logistics, strategic planning, and performance optimization for oil and gas wells in the Niger Delta. She was also a member of Halliburton’s Female Diversity Ambassador Team, which supports women in STEM fields.