Featured Pardee RAND Research

Pardee RAND students and faculty — and even some alumni — contribute to RAND research. This page features selected reports and projects to which the Pardee RAND community has contributed.

Adapting to a Changing Climate in Southeast Florida

Jun 6, 2018

Florida's Miami-Dade and Broward counties are vulnerable to flooding and intrusion of saltwater into drinking water. These risks are driven by sea level rise, changes in precipitation, and urban development. Alum David Groves (cohort '01) and colleagues ask, how can the region adapt?
Bridge to Opportunities: Connecting Probationers to High-Wage Jobs

May 25, 2018

Probation agencies face significant challenges to helping their clients find jobs, and earn living wages. Student Lisa Jonsson (cohort '14) and colleagues highlight one program in the construction industry that aimed to improve the earning potential of individuals on probation in Sacramento County, California.
Additive Manufacturing in 2040: Powerful Enabler, Disruptive Threat

May 8, 2018

Student Luke Irwin (cohort '16) and professors Troy Smith and Trevor Johnston examined the future of additive manufacturing, or 3D printing. If it continues to develop along its current trends, they write, it could profoundly alter the global economy, international security, and the organization of society.
Understanding Government Telework

Apr 23, 2018

Alum Bonnie Triezenberg (cohort '14) contributed to a report examining U.S. government practices regarding working from home, the benefits of these policies, and their possible challenges—especially for employees in the national security sector.
How the U.S. Air Force Could Retain More Female Officers

Apr 10, 2018

Women are underrepresented among the Air Force's senior leadership compared with their representation among the lower ranks. Alum Stefan Zavislan (cohort '14) helped conduct focus groups with female officers, which identified key retention factors and potential ways to improve Air Force policies and programs to address female officer retention.
Is Climate Restoration an Appropriate Policy Goal?

Apr 6, 2018

Climate restoration seeks to return atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases to preindustrial levels within one to two generations. Prof. Robert Lempert explores whether this is a suitable goal for humanity's response to climate change.
How Do Calorie Labels Affect Consumers?

Mar 28, 2018

In standard restaurant settings, displaying the calorie content on restaurant menus slightly reduced the amount ordered without affecting consumer satisfaction, according to research by alum Helen Wu (cohort '07), students Crystal Huang ('13) and Cameron Wright ('12), and Prof. Roland Sturm.
Evaluation of Mental Health Service Act in L.A. County Shows Services Reaching Those in Need

Mar 13, 2018

Los Angeles County uses Mental Health Services Act funds programs to reach at-risk populations. Students Gulrez Shah Azhar and Margaret Chamberlin found that the county was able to offer services and prevention efforts that lowered both homelessness and the need for psychiatric hospitalizations, while improving employment and wellbeing.
The Science of Gun Policy

Mar 2, 2018

What does the scientific evidence tell us about the effects of gun policies? Students Eric Apaydin, John Speed Meyers, and Rouslan Karimov worked on the RAND Gun Policy in America initiative, coauthoring a report that assesses the available evidence for the effects of commonly proposed gun laws on firearm deaths, violent crime, suicide, the gun industry, hunting and sport shooting, and other outcomes.
Are New York Health Providers Ready to Meet Veterans' Needs?

Mar 1, 2018

Few civilian health providers in New York are ready to provide timely, quality care to veterans, according to research by student Erin Duffy (cohort '15) and RAND colleagues. More than 90 percent of providers were accepting new patients. But only about 2 percent met all criteria for effectively serving veterans.
Designing and Implementing Corequisite Models of Developmental Education

Feb 23, 2018

Alum Lindsey Daugherty (cohort '05) and students Diana Gehlhaus Carew ('15) and Alexandra Mendoza-Graf ('16) examined the implementation of integrated reading and writing corequisites—a reform to developmental education that accelerates students into college-level courses, while providing academic support—in Texas community colleges.
How Does U.S. Military Presence Affect Conflict?

Feb 15, 2018

Stationing U.S. forces can be an effective tool in deterring state aggression, but this doesn't appear to reduce the risk of intrastate conflict, according to research coauthored by student Jakub Hlavka (cohort '14). There is also an important trade-off: U.S. troop presence may provoke more militarized activities short of war.
Evaluating Progress Toward Increasing Global Contraceptive Use

Feb 5, 2018

In 2013, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation launched two programs to help monitor progress toward a global goal to increase modern contraceptive use by 2020. Students Bill Gelfeld, Michele Abbott, Gabriela Armenta, Rouslan I. Karimov, Adeyemi Okunogbe, Uzaib Saya, and Mahlet A. Woldetsadik evaluated these programs and found opportunities for improvement.
Examining the Food-Energy-Water and Conflict Nexus

Jan 31, 2018

Student Michele Abbott (cohort '14) used the Pardee RAND Food-Energy-Water (FEW) Index to identify a positive, significant correlation between FEW security and political stability, and reviewed the evidence for how each of these three types of resource insecurities affects political and social stability.
Obesity May Be 'Socially Contagious'

Jan 25, 2018

Alum Ashlesha Datar (cohort '99) and Prof. Nancy Nicosia found that people who move to a high-obesity area are more likely to become overweight or obese. This may be due, in part, to “social contagion.” Living in a community where obesity is more common may make inactivity, poor diet, and being overweight or obese more socially acceptable.
Principals Generally Satisfied with Teach For America Corps Members

Jan 17, 2018

Students Amanda Edelman (cohort '13) and Rachel Perera ('16) surveyed principals about Teach For America corps members at their schools. The responses were mostly positive, but the principals did express concern with corps members' classroom management skills and limited two-year commitment.
How to Incentivize Employers to Hire Ex-Offenders

Jan 15, 2018

People with criminal records are marginalized in the labor market. Student Lisa Jonsson (cohort '14) and colleagues examine policies that might incentivize employers to hire them. Some options include tax credits and replacement guarantees if an ex-offender proves to be unsuitable once hired.
Estimating the Economic Benefit of National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Research

Jan 2, 2018

Three case studies provide concrete illustrations of the ways in which National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health research could affect worker health and safety practices and outcomes, as well as some initial estimates of the economic benefit associated with those impacts.
L.A. County Homelessness Program Also Saves Government Money

Dec 27, 2017

Los Angeles County's Housing for Health program launched a permanent housing program for people experiencing homelessness. Student Melody Harvey and Profs. Sarah Hunter and Matthew Cefalu found that, for every $1 invested in the program, L.A. County saved $1.20 in reduced health care and social service costs.
Improving Children's Lives: Balancing Investments in Prevention and Treatment in the Child Welfare System

Dec 11, 2017

Increasing prevention and treatment improves children's experience and long-term outcomes while paying for itself by reducing lifetime child welfare system costs.
Improving Child Welfare Outcomes

Dec 11, 2017

Policies aimed at increasing prevention and kinship care in the child welfare system improve children's experience and long-term outcomes. This approach is also cost effective, reducing total spending by 3 to 7 percent.
How Does Efficiency Affect Cost and Quality in Physician Organizations?

Dec 7, 2017

Physician organizations (POs) vary widely in the quality of care they provide for the same cost. To improve value, sources of inefficiency should be identified and targeted for improvement.
International Commercial Drone Regulation and Drone Delivery Services

Dec 5, 2017

As unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) rapidly evolve, regulators are scrambling to keep up with new uses, capabilities, and technology. Understanding international drone legislation is critical to determine which countries will be the most open to the use of delivery drones and what precedent is set for late-acting countries.
Promising Approaches to Army Institutional Change

Dec 5, 2017

The U.S. Army faces challenges including behavioral health issues, misconduct, and adjustment to changing demographics. Student Adeyemi Okunogbe (cohort '13) and alum Ben Batorsky (cohort' 12) found that long-term solutions will require changes in Army culture and climate. Such changes are difficult, but promising strategies do exist.
Housing People Experiencing Homelessness May Save Money

Dec 5, 2017

Housing for Health provides permanent supportive housing to people in Los Angeles County with complex medical and behavioral health issues. Student Melody Harvey (cohort '12) found that, after one year, participants reported dramatic reductions in use of public services, such as emergency medical care, resulting in a net cost savings of 20 percent.

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