Student-Authored Publications
Pardee RAND Graduate School students participate in many RAND research projects through their On-the-Job Training. These projects provide students with tremendous opportunities to publish their work in RAND reports and peer-reviewed journals. In fact, many of our students develop an impressive publications record during their tenure at PRGS, which enables them to compete successfully for positions at universities and other research institutions.
Below is a list of publications that our students have recently authored or co-authored. The list provides an excellent illustration of the range of publications that our students have had a hand in developing.
2013
Terrorism and the Labor Force: Evidence of an Effect on Female Labor Force Participation and the Labor Gender Gap — March 11, 2013
Explores causality and the direction of the association between measures of terrorism and the standing of women in the workforce as measured by female labor force participation.
Obtaining Life-Cycle Cost-Effective Facilities in the Department of Defense — March 5, 2013
The Department of Defense (DoD) constructs, operates, and maintains a large number of facilities. DoD incorporates life-cycle cost-effective practices into many aspects of the military planning and construction processes. This report provides RAND's description and assessment of the process used to obtain life-cycle cost-effective facilities and how that affects DoD construction options and choices.
Making Good Decisions Without Predictions: Robust Decision Making for Planning Under Deep Uncertainty — February 28, 2013
Quantitative analysis is often indispensable to sound planning. But with deep uncertainty, predictions can lead decisionmakers astray. Robust Decision Making supports good decisions without predictions by testing plans against many futures.
Predicting Suicide Attacks: Integrating Spatial, Temporal, and Social Features of Terrorist Attack Targets — February 18, 2013
As part of an exploration of ways to predict what determines the targets of suicide attacks, RAND conducted a proof-of-principle analysis of whether adding sociocultural, political, economic, and demographic factors would enhance the predictive ability of a methodology that focused on geospatial features. This test case focused on terrorist bombing incidents in Israel, but the findings indicate that the methodology merits further exploration.
Addressing Coastal Vulnerabilities Through Comprehensive Planning: How RAND Supported the Development of Louisiana's Comprehensive Master Plan — February 12, 2013
The Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana used a new analytic approach, developed in part by RAND, that incorporates results from predictive models in a decision tool to allow formulation and comparison of alternatives.
Critical Materials: Present Danger to U.S. Manufacturing — February 11, 2013
A high percentage of many raw and semi-finished materials critical to U.S. manufacturing are imported. China is the controlling producer of 11 of these materials and has instituted export restrictions that have led to two-tier pricing, creating pressure to move manufacturing to China. This report suggests the need for actions to mitigate the impact of such market distortions on the global manufacturing sector.
Exploring the Addition of Physician Identifiers to the California Hospital Discharge Data Set — February 7, 2013
To advance consideration of whether California should collect and release physician-identified data, RAND conducted a study to explore issues associated with requiring the inclusion of physician identifiers in the California hospital discharge data set and the potential use of physician-identified data by the state and/or release to others.
Outcome Evaluation of U.S. Department of State Support for the Global Methane Initiative — January 30, 2013
The Global Methane Initiative (GMI) is a voluntary international partnership that promotes methane recovery and reuse activities in developing and transition economies. The U.S. Department of State requested an evaluation of the activities and outcomes supported in whole or in part by its contributions to GMI to gauge its value added to the program.
Estimation of Regional Air-Quality Damages from Marcellus Shale Natural Gas Extraction in Pennsylvania — January 1, 2013
Producing natural gas from shale deposits generates air pollutant emissions. Increases in conventional air pollution may impact air-quality in shale gas extraction regions. RAND researchers provided a first-order estimate of conventional air pollutant emissions, and the monetary value of the associated environmental and health damages, from the extraction of unconventional shale gas in Pennsylvania.
Eating Better for Less: A National Discount Program for Healthy Food Purchases in South Africa — August 3, 2012
Examines whether reducing prices for healthy food purchases leads to changes in self-reported measures of food consumption and weight status.
2012
Options for an Organization to Manage and Dispose of Radioactive Materials — January 11, 2013
RAND researchers describe the attributes of potential organizational models and the steps needed to choose the form of a new organization charged with managing and disposing of commercial and defense high-level radioactive materials.
Choosing a New Organization for Management and Disposition of Commercial and Defense High-Level Radioactive Materials — January 11, 2013
Finding ways to safely store and ultimately dispose of nuclear waste remains a matter of considerable debate. This volume describes the steps needed to design a new, single-purpose organization to manage and dispose of commercial and defense high-level radioactive materials and examines three models for such an organization — federal government corporation, federally chartered private corporation, and independent government agency.
Second-Language Skills for All? Analyzing a Proposed Language Requirement for U.S. Air Force Officers — December 19, 2012
In an effort to determine the feasibility of requiring all Air Force officers to attain a specific level of proficiency in a second language, the authors conducted a survey of current Air Force officers. The results suggest that such a requirement is not currently feasible. However, it would instead be desirable to offer incentives for a variety of efforts made toward achieving proficiency, both before and after commissioning.
An Innovative Way to Curb Problem Drinking: South Dakota's 24/7 Sobriety Project — December 12, 2012
South Dakota's 24/7 Sobriety Project, in which individuals with alcohol-involved offenses submit to breathalyzer tests twice per day or wear an alcohol monitoring bracelet at all times, reduced repeat DUI arrests at the county level by 12 percent.
Increasing Organizational Diversity in 21st-Century Policing: Lessons from the U.S. Military — December 10, 2012
This paper discusses three broad, diversity-related lessons from the Military Leadership Diversity Commission that can inform police department hiring and personnel management: qualified minority candidates are available, career paths impact diversity, and departments should leverage organizational commitment to diversity. Additionally, specific suggestions are given as to how law enforcement agencies can incorporate each of these lessons.
Efficacy of Frequent Monitoring with Swift, Certain, and Modest Sanctions for Violations: Insights from South Dakota 24/7 Sobriety Project — December 6, 2012
In community supervision settings, frequent alcohol testing with swift, certain, and modest sanctions for violations can reduce problem drinking and improve public health outcomes.
Modernizing the Mobility Air Force for Tomorrow's Air Traffic Management System — December 6, 2012
Aircraft modernization to comply with mandates affecting airspace ensures continued access to fuel-efficient cruising altitudes and use of the busiest airports, but these future benefits require an upfront investment in avionics upgrade programs. Building on RAND work examining the cost-effectiveness of modernizing the U.S. Air Force's KC-10 aerial refueling tanker, this study extended the analysis to the C-5, C-17, C-130, and KC-135 fleets.
Understanding Pregnancy-Related Attitudes and Behaviors: A Mixed-Methods Study Homeless Youth — December 1, 2012
Effective and accessible pregnancy prevention and family planning programs for homeless youth are needed.
Can We Legally Pay People for Being Good? A Review of Current Federal and State Law on Wellness Program Incentives — November 1, 2012
Incentives to participate in wellness programs or reach health-related targets are becoming popular, but might expose employers and insurers to litigation risk because incentives might violate state and federal insurance, anti-discrimination, or privacy laws.
Nonmedical Interventions for Children with ASD: Recommended Guidelines and Further Research Needs — November 1, 2012
The creation of treatment guidelines and recommendations for future research represents an effort by leading experts to improve access to services for children with ASDs while acknowledging that the research evidence has many gaps.
What Works in Changing Energy-Using Behaviours in the Home? A Rapid Evidence Assessment: Final Report — November 1, 2012
In November 2012, the Department of Energy and Climate Change unveiled the UK's national Energy Efficiency Strategy, setting out the direction of their policy for the coming decades. RAND Europe's research on
NATO and the Challenges of Austerity — October 22, 2012
In the coming decade, NATO faces growing fiscal austerity and declining defense budgets. This study analyzes the impact of planned defense budget cuts on the capabilities of seven European members of NATO: the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, and Poland. The authors assess the implications of the cuts for NATO capabilities and strategy and for U.S. policy.
Can NATO Meet Defense Challenges in an Era of Austerity? — October 22, 2012
This study analyzes the impact of planned defense budget cuts on the capabilities of seven key European members of NATO and suggests ways in which the Alliance can adapt to meet emerging security challenges.
Choosing Defense Project Portfolios: A New Tool for Making Optimal Choices in a World of Constraint and Uncertainty — October 11, 2012
PortMan, RAND's new portfolio analysis and management methodology, provides a means for decisionmakers to find the optimal portfolio of projects, maximizing the probability of filling a desired set of requirements while restraining costs.
An Assessment of the Civilian Acquisition Workforce Personnel Demonstration Project — October 11, 2012
The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Civilian Acquisition Workforce Personnel Demonstration Project (AcqDemo) is an effort to reengineer the civilian personnel system to meet the needs of the acquisition workforce and to facilitate the fulfillment of the DoD acquisition mission. Congress required independent assessment of the program against 12 criteria by September 30, 2012. This report is that legislatively mandated assessment.
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