Stella Harrison

Stella Harrison (Senior Analyst, Data Science Lab, RAND Europe): Stella is the QTOPS Technical Lead. As a research data scientist, Stella has led the modelling and analysis for multiple projects examining workforce skills supply and demand, using a system dynamics approach to project workforce trends and identify emerging skills gaps. Her notable work includes assessing future workforce needs for the UK’s shipbuilding and combat air industrial bases. Stella has a strong interest in future technologies and has contributed to the development of assessment processes for evaluating whether concepts and technologies could provide operational advantage on the future battlefield. She has also conducted research into the opportunities, risks, barriers, and enablers of emerging technologies – particularly quantum technology – as enablers for command and control and future Air Power. Prior to joining RAND, Stella received her Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Southampton, where she numerically modelled polariton condensate systems in semiconductor microcavities. Her research explored their potential as platforms for analogue simulation of complex systems and as topological phases of matter, such as polariton vortex Chern insulators.