In the CRA Sessions podcast series Always on: Reliability in focus, CRA Vice President and host Andrew Dressel interviews Rob Kondziolka, Governing Body Member of the Western Energy Imbalance Market, to discuss the evolving challenges and strategies related to the reliability and resiliency of the Western US electric system.

Drawing on decades of industry experience, Kondziolka emphasizes the critical distinction between reliability—everyday service delivery—and resiliency—the ability to withstand and recover from extreme, low-frequency events like wildfires, storms, and cyber threats.

The conversation highlights tools like the Transmission Resiliency Maturity Model (TRMM), the importance of continuous improvement, and the role of emerging technologies such as smart inverters, dynamic line ratings, and AI in enhancing grid performance. The episode emphasizes the urgency of proactive planning and innovation in the face of climate change and increasing system complexity.

This podcast is part of the Life Sciences 2030 initiative that explores ethics of artificial intelligence (AI) in the life sciences industry. Moderated by Kristen Backor with panelists Michelle Guo, Travis Ruch, and Artes Haderi, the discussion highlights AI's potential to revolutionize drug development, patient care, and healthcare efficiency while emphasizing the ethical challenges such as biases in AI models, regulatory considerations, and the impact on health disparities. The conversation also addresses the role of policymakers in ensuring ethical AI implementation in healthcare and discusses real-world examples, potential future applications, and the importance of using real-world evidence to improve clinical trials and patient outcomes.

In this CRA Sessions Podcast episode, we speak with Valentín Estévez, a vice president in CRA’s Labor & Employment Practice based in College Station, Texas. Dr. Estevez has worked as a consultant and testifying expert in class action and single-plaintiff matters. He also assists clients on the application of big data and artificial intelligence techniques in labor and employment consulting. Valentín talks about the potential of artificial intelligence in human resources. And he'll give some best practices for implementing artificial intelligence solutions. Now, without further ado, let's get this session started.