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.

Policy Analysis for Improving the Performance of Large Social Systems
Sep 16, 2021

The fields of systems and policy analysis have helped to make the world more stable, secure, and prosperous by informing and improving decision-making in areas of public policy. Tim McDonald (cohort '16) considers how the scholarship and practice of policy analysis can contribute to addressing contemporary system challenges.
New Solutions Are Urgently Needed for Displaced Populations
Aug 26, 2021

Among the 80 million people who are displaced globally are 30 million refugees. They are living in limbo without full citizenship rights, and their host countries are experiencing ever-greater political and economic strains. Research by Hardika Dayalani (cohort '18) and colleagues highlights the critical need to find both durable and interim solutions.
How Concerned Are Parents About the Safety of In-Person Instruction?
Aug 18, 2021

A new survey details parents' responses concerning school hesitancy and preferences for COVID-19 safety practices in U.S. schools. Melissa Diliberti (cohort '19) and colleagues fielded the survey July 16–29, just as the delta variant greatly increased the number of cases nationwide.
Russia's Grand Strategy
Aug 16, 2021

Understanding Russia's grand strategy can help U.S. decisionmakers avoid strategic surprise by better-anticipating Moscow's actions and reactions. A new report reviews Russia's declared grand strategy, and tests key elements of it against the actions of the Russian state.
The K–12 Pandemic Staffing and Budget Crises Have Not Panned Out—Yet
Aug 16, 2021

As the pandemic increased stress on educators, many indicated they planned to leave their jobs by the end of the 2020–2021 school year. Districts have also had budget concerns, knowing federal aid will expire. Neither of these crises has come to pass, according to research by Melissa Diliberti (cohort '19), but they still could.
Independent Evaluation of the New York State 1115 Waiver Amendment: The Children's Design
Aug 6, 2021

In this interim evaluation of the New York State Medicaid program's Children's Design, students Annie Chen, Gabriela Alvarado, and Ingrid Estrada-Darley worked with RAND researchers to identify facilitators of, and barriers to, its implementation; describe and delineate baseline trends in outcomes of interest; and assess the feasibility of identifying comparison groups for analyses that will contribute to a summative evaluation of the program.
Removing Barriers to Vaccination for Black Americans
Aug 6, 2021

To improve Black Americans' confidence in COVID-19 vaccines, health care organizations and the public health system need to become more trustworthy. Research by Priya Gandhi (cohort '20) and colleagues finds that honesty about historical and ongoing discrimination and working with communities to provide equitable, accessible care could help.
Indonesian Fires and Haze
Jul 20, 2021

Fires in Indonesia contribute to severe air pollution that causes public health, environmental, and economic degradation across Indonesia and across equatorial Asia. Alexandra Huttinger (cohort '17) examines the drivers of fire activity in Indonesia and what some the health impacts of air pollution exposure may be.
Can Novel 'Swift-Certain-Fair' Programs Work Outside of Pioneering Jurisdictions?
Jul 20, 2021

South Dakota's 24/7 Sobriety Program requires individuals charged or convicted of alcohol-involved offenses to avoid alcohol and submit to frequent testing. Alum Gregory Midgette (cohort '09) and Prof. Beau Kilmer say this successful program appears to be making a difference in Montana as well.
School Leaders' Role in Selecting Instructional Materials
Jul 19, 2021

School leaders' perceptions of instructional materials influence their decisions about how to support teachers' material use. Ashley Woo (cohort '18) explores what the selection process for instructional materials looks like, and what role—if any—school leaders play.
Vulnerability, Inequity, and COVID-19: A Portrait of the Pandemic in Allegheny County
Jul 19, 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on vulnerable communities. Student Pedro Nascimento de Lima (cohort '19), alum Jordan Fischbach ('04), and RAND colleagues developed an interactive tool that shows how rates of testing, cases, and deaths, and the ability to practice social distancing, has differed across neighborhoods and populations in Pennsylvania's Allegheny County.
Assessing Health Services and Primary Care Research
Jul 19, 2021

RAND reviewed federally-funded health services and primary care research, making recommendations for maximizing outcomes and future investments to better serve the needs of a complex and rapidly changing U.S. health care system.
Cannabis Legalization and Social Equity: Opportunities, Puzzles, and Trade-Offs
Jul 16, 2021

Michelle Priest (cohort '19), Prof. Beau Kilmer, and colleagues describe some of the opportunities as well as some major puzzles and trade-offs surrounding the use of cannabis policy to advance social equity.
Exploring the Feasibility and Utility of Machine Learning-Assisted Command and Control: Supporting Technical Analysis
Jul 15, 2021

A technical analysis to a report concerning the potential for artificial intelligence systems to assist in Air Force command and control from a technical perspective details the taxonomy of 10 problem characteristics.
Exploring the Feasibility and Utility of Machine Learning-Assisted Command and Control
Jul 15, 2021

Is there potential for artificial intelligence (AI) systems to assist in Air Force command and control (C2) from a technical perspective? An analytical framework assesses the suitability of a given AI system for a given C2 problem.
Job-Related Stress Threatens the Teacher Supply
Jun 15, 2021

Nearly one in four teachers overall, and almost half of Black teachers in particular, said that they were likely to leave their jobs by the end of the 2020–21 school year, according to research by Ashley Woo (cohort '18). That's compared to one in six before the pandemic. They reported frequent stress and symptoms of depression more than the general population.
What Parents Think About Kids Returning to Classrooms
Jun 10, 2021

As of May 2021, 84 percent of parents surveyed plan to send their children to school in person in the fall. Black and Hispanic parents are the most hesitant. Two-thirds of parents want to keep COVID-19 school safety measures in place, finds Melissa Diliberti (cohort '19).
Has COVID-19 Led to Divergent and Inequitable Pathways in Education?
May 27, 2021

Remote schooling is associated with fewer instructional opportunities and potentially poorer student outcomes compared with in-person schooling. Nevertheless, Melissa Diliberti (cohort '19) finds that many schools will continue to offer a remote option after the pandemic has passed.
From Hermit Kingdom to Open for Business
May 25, 2021

When the situation in North Korea becomes conducive to foreign investment and development, what might it take to kick-start the country's economy? Students Diana Myers and Noah Johnson explored this question with professors Krishna Kumar and Troy Smith.
What Are the Geopolitical Risks of Geoengineering?
May 25, 2021

Geoengineering, the intentional manipulation of an environmental process on Earth to counteract the effects of climate change, could introduce geopolitical risks. David DeSmet (cohort '19) and colleagues ask whether existing international governance mechanisms can manage these risks.
Urban and Rural Districts Show Strong Divide During the Pandemic
May 11, 2021

As of February 2021, only 17 percent of urban school districts—compared with 42 percent of rural districts—were offering fully in-person instruction. Students Melissa Kay Diliberti and Lisa Berdie worked with colleagues to consider the implications of this disparity.
Stress-Testing California's COVID-19 Reopening Strategy
May 10, 2021

States' reopening plans vary widely. With a revised RAND decision support tool and using California as an example, students Pedro Lima and Lawrence Baker, along with Pardee RAND faculty, tested alternative plans. The best strategies did not prematurely relax measures like indoor mask-wearing; began with a high level of caution; were tied to vaccination rates; and made changes gradually.
Use of Tobacco Products Among Unaccompanied Youth Experiencing Homelessness
May 5, 2021

To understand patterns of use and interest in quitting different types of tobacco products among youth experiencing homelessness, a RAND team surveyed these youth in Los Angeles County to inform efforts to reduce their use of tobacco products.
Machine Learning Can Detect Online Conspiracy Theories
Apr 29, 2021

As social media platforms work to prevent malicious or harmful uses of their services, an improved model of machine-learning technology can detect and understand conspiracy theory language. Insights from this modeling effort can help counter the effects of online conspiracies.
Seeking COVID-19 Exit Strategies for Reopening California
Apr 27, 2021

Students Pedro Lima and Lawrence Baker (cohort '19) worked with Pardee RAND faculty using simulation models and the Robust Decision Making (RDM) approach to stress-test California's reopening strategy and other alternatives. They found that adaptive plans that respond aggressively to initial outbreaks are required to control the pandemic.