Responding to COVID-19 with Research and Analysis

Members of the Pardee RAND community are contributing to the COVID-19 response by sharing their expertise on topics that include emergency response, health care, public health, online education, economic and security implications, and more. We are also searching for solutions to coronavirus-related challenges on local, state, national, and global levels. Learn how our students, alumni, and faculty are responding to the pandemic.

Hospitals and Health Care

Health Care Resource Allocation Decisionmaking During a Pandemic
Jun 18, 2020

Student Karishma Patel (cohort '17) and colleagues developed a Core Guidance Checklist that can help health systems and policymakers make choices about how to allocate scarce but lifesaving resources—for patients and for health care workers—during the COVID-19 crisis.
Alum Describes Results of USC Antibody Study
May 28, 2020

Neeraj Sood (cohort '99) joined KTLA-TV live via Skype to talk about the results of the COVID-19 Antibody Study led by his team at the University of Southern California and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
Alum Finds Pandemic May Led to Increased Childhood Obesity
May 27, 2020

The childhood obesity rate in the United States may increase by 2.4% if school closures continue into December, according to a new study by Ruopeng An (cohort '08), an assistant professor at the Brown School at Washington University who studies obesity and social determinants of health.
Modeling the Future of COVID-19: Q&A with Pardee RAND Faculty
May 26, 2020

The phrase “flatten the curve” familiarized millions of Americans with epidemiological models used to estimate virus transmission, cases, and potential deaths from COVID-19. But Profs. Jeanne Ringel and Raffaele Vardavas say new models are needed as the country enters a different stage of the crisis, one in which changed behaviors must be taken into account.
Alum: In Many Unfortunate Ways, Coronavirus Is Like a War
May 26, 2020

Janice Blanchard (cohort '98), a professor and physician, writes of pandemic-induced PTSD: "Perhaps the most important commonality between COVID-19 and war is the lasting mental anguish that many of its warriors face."
Profs: Blueprint Needed for a Post-Vaccine World
May 11, 2020

When a COVID-19 vaccine is developed, many in rich countries may be able to afford it while the poor and uninsured may not. In poor countries, most people won't be able to pay. Professors Krishna Kumar and Chris Nelson say the time to plan for equitable access, financing, intellectual property rights, and global production is now.
Alum: Don't Make the Pandemic Worse with Poor Data Analysis
May 6, 2020

The need for immediate answers in the face of severe public health and economic distress may create a temptation to relax statistical standards, write David Groves (cohort '01) and five fellow codirectors of RAND's Methods Centers. But urgency should not preclude expert analysis and honest assessments of uncertainty. Mistaken assumptions could lead to counterproductive actions.
Students Offer Hospitals Critical Care Surge Capacity Strategies for Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic
May 5, 2020

Karishma Patel (cohort '17) and Hamad Al Ibrahim ('18) worked with RAND researchers to present methods for creating critical care surge capacity in hospitals to address the COVID-19 pandemic.
Student and Profs: How America Can Begin Building a System of Health
May 4, 2020

COVID-19 is shining a harsh spotlight on long-recognized but under-addressed gaps in the U.S. health system, write Tim McDonald (cohort '16) and Profs. Christopher Nelson and Laurie Martin. As the nation moves quickly to respond, it could begin by engaging in the work of designing, defining, and building a System of Health.
The Unintended Consequences of a Proposed Cure for COVID-19
Apr 29, 2020

The very discussion of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine as therapeutic options against COVID-19 has decreased their availability for proven treatments, exacerbated global shortages, fueled an already rampant counterfeit drug market in Africa, and worsened trade tensions. Student Sangita Baxi (cohort '17) and professors Krishna Kumar and Todd Richmond ask, What can be done to deal with the unintended consequences caused by the elevated profile of these drugs?
Alum Reviews Inexpensive Options to Mitigate Pandemic Risk
Apr 21, 2020

A year before the COVID-19 pandemic began, David Manheim (cohort '12) examined interventions that could significantly reduce the impact of a large-scale pandemic by reducing transmission, reducing exposure, reducing impact for those infected, and increasing large scale resilience.
Alum Reports Findings of Early Tests: 4% of L.A. County Adults Have Antibody
Apr 21, 2020

An ongoing study led by Neeraj Sood (cohort '99) found that only 4 percent of the adult population of Los Angeles County has been infected with the novel coronavirus, "which means we are very early in the epidemic, and many more people in L.A. County could potentially be infected."
Students Help Develop Interactive Tool for Strategizing Hospital Critical Care Capacity
Apr 17, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic is placing extraordinary strains on the U.S. medical system, especially hospitals. Hamad Al-Ibrahim (cohort '18) and Karishma Patel ('17) worked with Prof. Chris Nelson and RAND colleagues to develop an interactive tool hospitals can use to estimate their current critical care capacity and rapidly explore strategies for increasing it.
Alum: COVID-19 Offers Chance to Study the Impact of Sex and Gender
Apr 13, 2020

Much of current medical evidence is based largely on men, writes alum Denise Quigley (cohort '91) with RAND colleagues. The current COVID-19 pandemic presents a unique opportunity to examine the potential value of asking questions about sex and gender differences to inform ongoing policy decisions.
Alum: Correcting this Faulty Belief about COVID-19 Will Save Lives
Apr 13, 2020

"The health conditions that can complicate COVID-19 aren't unique to the elderly," writes alum Ken Thorpe (cohort '80), . "Heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, lung disease, and asthma all impact younger and middle-aged people, too." Thorpe is professor of health policy at Emory University and chairman of the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease.
Alum Leads USC Effort to Test for Coronavirus Antibodies
Apr 13, 2020

Neeraj Sood (cohort '99) is leading a USC study with L.A. County to test the blood of 1,000 randomly selected individuals for COVID-19 antibodies. “The test will provide fundamental information about the deadliness of the disease, if policy measures like social distancing are working, and also how long the pandemic is likely to last,” he said.
Alum Coordinating UCLA Clinical Trials of COVID-19 Therapies
Apr 3, 2020

Alum Arash Naeim (cohort '99), chief medical officer for clinical research for UCLA Health, is co-chairing a clinical research task force that is coordinating tests of the anti-viral drug remdesivir and other therapies against COVID-19.
Students Contribute to New Tool to Help Health Officials Plan for COVID-19 Patient Surge
Apr 3, 2020

Hospitals are searching for ways to ramp up their surge capacity to provide critical care for the sickest COVID-19 patients. Students Karishma Patel (cohort '17) and Hamad Al-Ibrahim ('18) helped to develop a user-friendly calculator that enables decisionmakers at all levels to estimate current critical care capacity and rapidly explore strategies for increasing it.
Prof: What If the Supreme Court Strikes Down the ACA During the COVID-19 Pandemic?
Apr 3, 2020

With COVID-19 spreading across the United States, the fate of the Affordable Care Act is once again up in the air, hanging on the outcome of a Supreme Court case. If the law is overturned, writes Prof. Christine Eibner, upwards of 20 million people could lose their health insurance during one of the deadliest pandemics in modern history.
Students: Promising Strategies for Creating Critical Care Capacity in U.S. Hospitals
Apr 3, 2020

Hospitals can prepare for a surge of patients critically ill with COVID-19, but it will require hospital leaders, practitioners, and regional officials to adopt drastic measures that challenge the standard way of providing care. Students Karishma Patel (cohort '17) and Hamad Al Ibrahim ('18) worked with RAND colleagues to develop a tool to help estimate current capacity and explore ways to increase it.
Alum: Antibiotic-Resistant Bugs Emerge as Enemy in the COVID-19 Fight
Apr 1, 2020

Alum Kenneth Thorpe (cohort '80), professor of health policy at Emory University, says a subset of COVID-19 patients must fight an even more terrifying enemy. Doctors are increasingly watching in horror as drug-resistant bacteria, or "superbugs," invade patients' weakened bodies and send them into fatal septic shock.
Prof: Implement Critical Care Surge Strategies Now to Save Lives
Apr 1, 2020

As COVID-19 continues to spread, hospitals are bracing for a surge of patients requiring critical care. To meet the demand, Prof. Christopher Nelson says U.S. health care facilities may need to fundamentally change the way they allocate space, staff, and equipment.
Hospitals, Insurers Brace for Coronavirus Financial Fallout: Alum Quoted
Mar 27, 2020

Alum Jeff Luck (cohort '91), an associate professor of health management at Oregon State University, says providers might press the federal government to increase reimbursements “to ease the pain" if treating Medicare patients for COVID-19 becomes a big financial burden.
Alum: Is Covid-19 as Deadly as They Say?
Mar 26, 2020

Alum Neeraj Sood (cohort '99) contributed to a Wall Street Journal commentary that examines epidemiological data from a number of groups and argues that "projections of the death toll could plausibly be orders of magnitude too high."
Alum, in WSJ: It’s Dangerous to Test Only the Sick
Mar 16, 2020

In the Wall Street Journal, Neeraj Sood (cohort '99) writes: "President Trump says 1.4 million tests for the novel coronavirus will become available this week. That’s welcome news. But officials are about to make a mistake. The president said testing will be limited to people who believe they may be infected."

Workers and the Economy

Student Examines How Small Businesses Are Surviving the COVID-19 Pandemic
May 22, 2020

Small-business owners are facing many challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Diana Gehlhaus (cohort '15) helped research what kinds of policies might help them and what will they need to thrive once the immediate public health crisis has passed.
Profs: Relaxing COVID-19 Restrictions Presents Stark Health and Economic Choices
May 18, 2020

RAND's new publicly available COVID-19 interventions impact tool uses epidemiological and economic models and continually refreshed data to estimate what could happen as restrictions are eased. Professors Ringel, Vardavas, and Strong say the tool—which they developed with the help of five Pardee RAND students—cannot make the choices confronting state leaders less painful, but it can provide clear evidence-based estimates of the health and economic trade-offs.
Prof Asks, Is the Unemployment Rate Now Higher Than It Was in the Great Depression?
May 7, 2020

The extent of COVID-19's effect on the labor market will be catastrophic for many workers and businesses, writes Prof. Kathryn Edwards. Matching the unemployment rate peak set by the Great Depression is a possibility, but reaching this unfortunate milestone is not necessary to establish the historic nature of the downturn we are living through today.
The Health and Economic Tradeoffs of Reopening America: Q&A with Prof and RAND Experts
May 4, 2020

Local and state officials are thinking through whether, when, and how to lift social-distancing restrictions. We asked three RAND researchers—including Prof. Aaron Strong—about the complex problem of reopening.
Students Help Develop Tool for Policymakers to Manage COVID-19 Responses
May 4, 2020

State and local officials implemented a range of interventions to slow the spread of COVID-19, such as social distancing and school closures. Pedro Lima, Lawrence Baker, Keren Zhu, Michelle Priest, and Lynn Hu helped to develop a web-based tool to help leaders weigh both the public health and economic consequences of different approaches to lifting some of these measures.
Profs Examine Supply Chain Disruptions Due to COVID-19 and Social Distancing
Apr 28, 2020

The physical distancing policies put into effect in the United States to reduce the growth of COVID-19 entail significant epidemiological and economic risks and uncertainties. Professors Aaron Strong and Jonathan Welburn have estimated the economy-wide impacts of a set of these policies to provide a sense of their likely economic toll.
Alum Proposes Next Steps on the Return to Normalcy
Apr 27, 2020

"It is natural to start thinking about what it might take to return to normalcy," writes Loren Yager (cohort '87). "Unfortunately, these decisions are vastly more complex than the stay at home orders because there is no 'one size fits all' strategy."
Prof Examines Second Wave of COVID Consequences
Apr 24, 2020

Economists closely watch measures of consumer confidence because they are highly predictive economic indicators. Prof. Kathryn Edwards says new consumer data reveals likely long-term and prolonged economic fallout.
Prof: Will the Coronavirus Pandemic Cause a Recession?
Apr 22, 2020

Prof. Kathryn Edwards addresses the concern that the social and health actions being taken to prevent the spread of the coronavirus pandemic may cause a recession.
Alum Discusses Importance of Business Innovation in Pandemic Response
Apr 20, 2020

"We always have a full pipeline of projects that we're working on for innovation," said alum Jamie Gayton, (cohort '06) executive vice president of PenFed Credit Union, about his organization's response to COVID-19. "Innovation is the lifeblood of a credit union, it's what keeps us going into the future."
Alum Examines Restarting International Travel in Time of COVID-19
Apr 17, 2020

As many governments start to lift their domestic pandemic mitigation measures, greater attention will turn to restrictions on international travel. Jakub Hlavka (cohort '14) asks, How quickly should we want and expect those restrictions to be lifted?
Prof: Can We Emerge from COVID-19 with a Healthier Work Culture?
Apr 16, 2020

American families want greater choices in determining how their work and their families fit together. Post-pandemic, can we create a system that fits workers? If so, Prof. Heather Williams says we have the opportunity to emerge from this crisis with both healthier employees and better performing organizations.
WSJ Quotes Alum on White-Collar Unemployment
Apr 14, 2020

Julia Pollak (cohort '12), a labor economist for ZipRecruiter, explains why few are safe from the second round of coronavirus layoffs: “Any company that had been planning to open a second location, that hired an architect, an office designer, and contractor—they’re not opening that location this year and those people now won’t have jobs."
Student: Pandemic Will Add to Struggles of Smaller Cannabis Businesses
Apr 13, 2020

NBC quoted Steven Davenport (cohort '15) about the lack of federal relief for cannabis store owners: "Small businesses who can't afford to endure longer periods of low prices or disruptions in revenues will probably look to be acquired in order to preserve their financial health."
Profs on the Danger of Converting a Health Crisis into a Financial Crisis
Apr 13, 2020

The impulse to do something to help businesses right now is well-intended, but lending to companies that were highly leveraged pre-crisis is a risky bet, write professors Krishna Kumar, Shanthi Nataraj, and Jonathan Welburn. Assistance could be best directed toward sound enterprises that are likely to survive and contribute to boosting the economy in the coming years.
Prof Discusses on the Economic Impact of the Coronavirus Pandemic
Apr 7, 2020

Prof. Kathryn Edwards says unemployment insurance is one tool that could help, but it needs to be "reformed on the fly" to respond to today's economic climate.
Prof: Millions Need Unemployment Benefits. Unfortunately, the Delivery System Is Broken
Apr 6, 2020

More than 10 million Americans filed for unemployment insurance in March as businesses closed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The stimulus package passed in March enacted welcome measures to tide people over, but Prof. Kathryn Edwards says these temporary fixes don't address the structural problems that will continue to plague unemployment benefit programs after the infusion of cash runs out.
Alum Estimates Economic Benefits of California's Stay-at-Home Policy
Apr 1, 2020

Joe Nation (cohort '85), a professor of the practice of public policy at Stanford University, calculated the net cost of the state's stay-at-home order. "National and state leaders who claim to be putting the economy first are in fact putting it last. Saving lives also saves the economy," he found.
The Economic Wallop of COVID-19: Q&A with Faculty Experts
Mar 26, 2020

As Washington continues to weigh economic responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, here are insights from Pardee RAND professors Jennifer Kavanagh, Debra Knopman, Krishna Kumar, and Howard Shatz on how aid money might be best allocated, how this crisis compares to the 2008 recession, what business communities can do right now, and more.
The Social Distancing Economy: Q&A with Pardee RAND Faculty and RAND Experts
Mar 18, 2020

Congress and the White House are weighing economic policies to help people acutely affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Here are insights from Pardee RAND professors Kathryn Edwards, Debra Knopman, Krishna Kumar, Benjamin Miller, Howard Shatz, and Jonathan Welburn on what might be effective in terms of fiscal policy, stimulus spending, and emergency relief to affected workers.

Vulnerable Populations

How Are Teachers Educating Students with Disabilities During the Pandemic?
Apr 8, 2021

Students Katie Feistel and Heather Gomez-Bendana examined how remote and hybrid learning can present particular challenges to students with disabilities (SWD) and their teachers. Nearly two in five teachers said that their schools offered alternative instructional arrangements for SWD during the pandemic, but this was less common in majority non-White and high-poverty schools.
Vaccine Hesitancy Is High Among Black Americans, Including Health Care Workers
Mar 1, 2021

Lower vaccination rates among Black Americans would further widen COVID-19 inequities in diagnosis, hospitalization, and mortality. But research by Priya Gandhi (cohort '20) and colleagues finds that concerns about vaccine safety, mistrust of the government's transparency around COVID-19, and beliefs about racism in health care are contributing to mistrust of the vaccine.
College in America Could Be Changed Forever
Jul 7, 2020

COVID-19 is threatening to upend the models that both public and private higher education depend on in the United States, write Professors Charles Goldman and Rita Karam. As universities consider whether to postpone in-person classes until next year, many parents and students may be questioning the value of a traditional higher education.
How Are Educators Teaching and Leading Through the Pandemic?
Jun 22, 2020

U.S. teachers and principals shifted quickly to support students with distance learning during the early weeks of the coronavirus crisis. Unfortunately, according to research by student Melissa Diliberti (cohort '19) and colleagues, the pandemic is likely to make existing inequalities worse.
Profile of Black Emergency Doctors Features Alum
Jun 8, 2020

Janice Blanchard (cohort '98) was one of three DC-area black emergency physicians featured by local NPR station WAMU. "I think as a black doctor, it’s my responsibility to do everything in my power to make sure that a black patient is getting fair treatment," she said.
How Are Americans Paying Their Bills During the Pandemic?
Jun 3, 2020

About one-third of U.S. households have experienced a decline in income as a result of COVID-19. Professors Katherine Carman and Shanthi Nataraj find that roughly 30 percent of these households—especially low-income, black, or Hispanic households—are having difficulties paying their bills.
Alum and Prof: Emergency COVID-19 Aid Helps College Students with Food and Housing
May 26, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has expanded the pool of cash-strapped college students, but many were already struggling. Alum Lindsay Daugherty (cohort '05) and Prof. Drew Anderson say the crisis could draw attention to food and housing insecurity among college students, and give college leaders a chance to consider how to address these needs more systematically over the long-term.
Prof Explores Use of Non-Emergency Medical Transportation
May 5, 2020

More widespread availability of rideshare for non emergency medical transport may save lives, reserve emergency resources for those who need them and provide safe pathways to primary care for the chronically ill, writes Prof. Christopher Whaley. It could also save livelihoods, providing employment in a time of economic hardship.
Profs: How to Feed the Needy and Protect Workers on the Front Lines
Apr 30, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented in modern times and access to food could be critical to getting through it. Professors Andrea Richardson and Tamara Dubowitz say local leaders and policymakers could find themselves having to devote new resources to make sure all citizens have access to food and to protect those on the front lines.
Alum Comments on the High Rate of Latinos with COVID-19
Apr 27, 2020

"We know this happens. We've seen this before,” said Leo Morales (cohort '95) about the fact that Latino patients are testing positive for COVID-19 at twice the rate of white patients. Morales, co-director of the Latino Center for Health at the University of Washington School of Medicine, was interviewed by his local NPR station about why this might be the case.
Profs: Government Should Do More to Protect Household Employers and Workers
Apr 23, 2020

As the federal government extends aid to people put out of work by the COVID-19 pandemic, professors Shanthi Nataraj and Krishna Kumar write, it could do more to help one group of employers and the vital American workers they employ: hundreds of thousands of nannies, housekeepers, and others employed in private homes.
Profs: The Important Role of Faith-Based Organizations in the Context of COVID-19
Apr 16, 2020

Maintaining social and spiritual connections in the midst of COVID-19 are not the only challenges facing communities of faith. Prof. Kathryn Pitkin Derose and Pardee RAND Practitioner in Residence Michael Mata say congregations play critical roles in providing social services within communities.
Alum Offers Recommendations for Rapid Release and Reentry During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Apr 15, 2020

Alum Angela Hawken (cohort '98), program director at the Litmus program at the NYU Marron Institute, has conducted research on early release from prison since 2016. Since early March 2020, Litmus has been working with justice agencies nationwide to learn how jails, prisons, and community corrections are responding to COVID-19.
Project Shares COVID-19 Resources for LAUSD Families
Apr 14, 2020

The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) faces numerous challenges because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Pardee RAND is partnering with the district and Pepperdine University to share information about a wide variety of community resources available to parents and students.
Alum on Why Twice as Many Black D.C. Residents Have COVID-19 as Their White Peers
Apr 9, 2020

Alum Janice Blanchard (cohort '98), an associate professor of emergency medicine at George Washington University Hospital who studies racial disparities in U.S. healthcare: “Social distancing is very hard to do … when you have to get on a bus every day to go to work.”
Prof on Parenting Through the Pandemic: Who's Working, Who's Caring for the Kids, and What Policies Might Help
Apr 8, 2020

To help inform policy decisions that could help working parents affected by COVID-19, Prof. Kathryn Edwards examined the U.S. Department of Labor's Current Population Survey and recent coronavirus relief acts. Our review shows us what aid working parents might expect and what kinds of aid policymakers might consider going forward.
Prof Examines Emergency Homeless Services During the COVID-19 Crisis
Apr 7, 2020

The recently passed $2 trillion stimulus package includes a suite of measures designed to support households that are affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. But Prof. Sarah Hunter says policymakers may want to consider what protections the package offers to a particularly high-risk group: people experiencing homelessness.
Prof: The Public Charge Rule's Likely Hazard to Our Nation's Health During COVID-19
Apr 6, 2020

The Public Charge rule makes immigrants who receive Medicaid and other publicly-funded benefits potentially ineligible for green cards, and, in some cases, subjects them to deportation. Prof. Kathryn Derose says fear and reluctance to seek assistance among immigrants is likely to worsen during the COVID-19 epidemic.
Dean: Farmworkers Are Forgotten on the Frontlines of the Food Supply Chain
Apr 3, 2020

The working and living conditions of farmworkers make practicing social distancing, self-isolation, or quarantine impossible, writes Dean Susan Marquis. In the food supply, farmworkers are the first responders who keep the supply chains going. FEMA, the CDC, and state governments should include farmworkers and agricultural communities in their emergency response plans.
Profs Examine Food Access Challenges and Solutions Brought on by COVID-19
Mar 31, 2020

For the 14.3 million American households already experiencing food insecurity, COVID-19 shutdowns and restrictions have created new layers of hardship, write professors Tamara Dubowitz and Andrea Richardson. Tremendous efforts are already underway to make sure the food insecure aren't forgotten in the midst of so much other disruption. But the weeks to come will surely demand more creative solutions from the public and private sectors, particularly for the most vulnerable in our communities.

National Security and International Affairs

Prof: Jumpstarting the U.S.-Japan-Korea Trilateral Amid COVID-19
May 6, 2020

Since roughly 2012, South Korea–Japan ties have frayed over tensions between the two countries. Prof. Scott Harold asks, could the United States use its relationships with Japan and South Korea to encourage trilateral medical cooperation during the pandemic, ensure that the Tokyo Olympic Games are held, and in so doing help support healing in the relationship between Seoul and Tokyo?
Alum Urges Congress to Include IT Modernization Funding in Future Rescue Bills
Apr 17, 2020

"The COVID-19 pandemic has created a significant strain on many of the federal, state, and local government resources across the United States that people depend on every day," said alum Gordon Bitko (cohort '02), senior vice president of policy, public sector at the Information Technology Industry Council. ITI was one of five tech trade groups that signed an open letter to Congress.
Alum Asks, Can Globalization Survive the Current Health Pandemic?
Apr 17, 2020

Jeremy Ghez (cohort '06) identifies four principles of globalization and says a reversal of any of them "would be a game-changer that would challenge some of the foundations of globalization as we know it today."
Prof Examines Who Has Jurisdiction Over a Pandemic, the U.S. Government or States?
Apr 15, 2020

Prof. Phillip Carter and fellow RAND experts discuss the recent buildup of tensions between the federal government and state and local authorities. When it comes to planning for and fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, who's in charge?
Alum, Profs Examine Defense Budget Implications of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Apr 7, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic is taking a dramatic toll on the U.S. economy. This could have significant medium-term implications for the U.S. defense budget, write alum Ted Harshberger (cohort '86) and professors Krishna Kumar and Howard Shatz. The U.S. Department of Defense will need to find efficiencies that are of at least the same magnitude as the recent sequestration.
Prof: During Coronavirus Pandemic, Can Congress Members Do Their Jobs by Teleworking?
Apr 6, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic presents a new challenge to how Congress conducts business, writes Prof. Quentin Hodgson. How can the United States leverage existing technologies so lawmakers can continue to work safely and securely?
Prof: After the Crisis, Should the Federal Workforce Stay Remote?
Apr 3, 2020

As physical distancing becomes the new norm, so too does telework. But Prof. Kathryn Edwards and RAND colleagues ask, should federal agencies maintain their remote operations for the long haul? As those involved with national security agencies, operations, and workforce issues know, this is not a decision to make lightly.
Alum and Student: North Korea Is Denying COVID-19
Apr 2, 2020

According to North Korean authorities, North Korea has not yet suffered any cases of COVID-19. Alum Bruce Bennett (cohort '75) and student Diana Myers ('19) say that is very surprising, given that North Korea is a neighbor and extensive trading partner of China, where the disease initially flourished. There are signs that the absence of COVID-19 cases in North Korea is yet another North Korean deception.
Prof Considers Economic Consequences of COVID-19 in the Middle East, Implications for U.S. National Security
Apr 1, 2020

The global COVID-19 pandemic will have a dramatic impact on economies across the globe, but the Middle East may be particularly affected given the simultaneous fall in oil prices, writes Prof. Howard Shatz. The economic consequences of this pandemic are also likely to affect U.S. interests in the region.
Prof: After COVID-19, America Needs to Reengage with the World, Not Retreat
Apr 1, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic should lead to a further strengthening of the national and international response capacity, writes Prof. Krishna Kumar. The alternative of erecting barriers and closing America off to the world would leave it more vulnerable to the next big shock.
Alum Shares Lessons from Italy’s Response to Coronavirus
Mar 30, 2020

Alum Michele Zanini (cohort '96) coauthored a Harvard Business Review article "to help U.S. and European policymakers at all levels learn from Italy’s mistakes so they can recognize and address the unprecedented challenges presented by the rapidly expanding crisis."
Alum Discusses Gaza's Coronavirus Challenges
Mar 26, 2020

In a podcast interview, Shira Efron (cohort '11) explains, "What we take for granted in the developed world you just can't do in Gaza. Gaza does not have enough water — it's not just that the water is not clean, which we know it's not — but it doesn't have enough water not only for drinking and cooking, but also hygiene and sanitation."
In JAMA, Alum Explores Taiwan's Response to COVID-19
Mar 16, 2020

Jason Wang (cohort '01) was the lead author of "Response to COVID-19 in Taiwan: Big Data Analytics, New Technology, and Proactive Testing," a viewpoint coauthored with Prof. Robert Brook and published in JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association.

Education

Despite Its Challenges, Remote Learning Is Here to Stay
Dec 15, 2020

School district leaders are concerned about students' unequal opportunities to learn during the pandemic, students' social and emotional learning needs, and insufficient funding to cover staff, according to Melissa Diliberti (cohort '19) and her coauthors. Still, about two in ten leaders still anticipate that a fully remote learning option will become a permanent public school offering.
This School Year Could Be Another Casualty of the Pandemic
Nov 16, 2020

Most U.S. schools are providing either fully remote or hybrid instruction as the pandemic continues to limit students' learning. Melissa Diliberti (cohort '19) finds that students are less prepared for grade-level work and those from vulnerable populations are most at risk of falling behind. Some 80 percent of teachers report burnout.
Schools Weren't Prepared for a Crisis Like COVID-19
Sep 29, 2020

Before COVID-19, less than half of U.S. public schools had a written plan for dealing with a pandemic and only 38 states had publicly available school health emergency plans, according to research by Melissa Diliberti (cohort '19) and RAND colleagues. How did schools' preparation affect their transitions to remote learning and principals' confidence in student achievement?
How Are Educators Teaching and Leading Through the Pandemic?
Jun 22, 2020

U.S. teachers and principals shifted quickly to support students with distance learning during the early weeks of the coronavirus crisis. Unfortunately, according to research by student Melissa Diliberti (cohort '19) and colleagues, the pandemic is likely to make existing inequalities worse.
Alum and Prof: Emergency COVID-19 Aid Helps College Students with Food and Housing
May 26, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has expanded the pool of cash-strapped college students, but many were already struggling. Alum Lindsay Daugherty (cohort '05) and Prof. Drew Anderson say the crisis could draw attention to food and housing insecurity among college students, and give college leaders a chance to consider how to address these needs more systematically over the long-term.
COVID-19 and the State of K–12 Schools
May 26, 2020

How have teachers and school leaders navigated the challenging circumstances introduced by COVID-19? Survey data analyzed by student Melissa Diliberti (cohort '19) and RAND colleagues help gauge how the pandemic has affected schooling and how districts are planning for the next school year.
Prof: For Instruction, Online Doesn't Have to Mean Impersonal
Apr 2, 2020

Children's needs extend beyond the purely academic, write Prof. Elizabeth Steiner and RAND colleagues. It is important that their social and emotional well-being is supported as instruction moves online during the COVID-19 pandemic. A whole-child view of what students need could benefit them now more than ever.
Coronavirus Forces Colleges Online. Profs Ask: Will Learning Ever Be the Same?
Mar 16, 2020

Colleges and universities have turned to online courses to help slow the spread of COVID-19. But distance learning may also hold promise as a long-term strategy to help make higher education more accessible and affordable, write Professors Charles Goldman and Rita Karam.

Well-Being and Happiness

Alum: The Government Can't Make You Happy
May 1, 2020

While arguing that "government is best at lowering the sources of unhappiness," Arthur Brooks (cohort '96) said in an interview that COVID-19 has created "an opportunity for personal spiritual transcendence and a laboratory for good ideas and public policy," in the near future.
Student Illustrates a COVID-19 "Survival Guide" Video
Apr 17, 2020

As is true of all of our students, Gaby Alvarado (cohort '19) is more than a policy analyst. Inspired by her cat, she decided to learn a new skill and illustrate seven simple rules to help her friends get through the pandemic.
Profs: The Important Role of Faith-Based Organizations in the Context of COVID-19
Apr 16, 2020

Maintaining social and spiritual connections in the midst of COVID-19 are not the only challenges facing communities of faith. Prof. Kathryn Pitkin Derose and Pardee RAND Practitioner in Residence Michael Mata say congregations play critical roles in providing social services within communities.
Alum: A Few Hints of Light at the End of the Tunnel
Mar 27, 2020

Alum Loren Yager (cohort '87) writes, "There is no question that this is a world-changing event and that all the social distancing and other preparatory measures need to be taken as quickly and seriously as possible. But at the same time, we also need to see that there are some faint reasons for hope as we try to come to grips with the need to hunker down for months in our homes."
Alum: Social Distancing Could Ultimately Teach Us How to Be Less Lonely
Mar 23, 2020

Alum Arthur Brooks (cohort '96) writes, "While public health officials are no doubt correct that social distancing is necessary, as a social scientist I would add that it is a necessary evil. Enormous amounts of scholarship have shown that social connectedness is central to well-being and good mental health."