RAND > Pardee RAND > Research & Initiatives >

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.

  • First Army Deputy Commanding General for Support, Maj. Gen. Paul Benenati, greets Bruce McDonald, a civilian aide to the Secretary of the Army from Michigan, at the Central Region CASA conference on Rock Island Arsenal, Ill., on Aug. 12, 2015

    Assessment of the Civilian Acquisition Workforce Personnel Demonstration Project

    Feb 15, 2017

    Student Cameron Wright (cohort '12), alum Lindsay Daugherty (cohort '05), and professor Laura Werber joined forces with RAND colleagues to assess DoD's AcqDemo, finding several aspects of the program that are performing well but also areas that could be improved.

  • Venezuelan soldiers patrol during a military operation to destroy clandestine drug laboratories in Zulia, Venezuela, near the border with Colombia, December 6, 2014

    How to Counter Transnational Criminal Networks

    Jan 27, 2017

    Transnational criminal networks have expanded their global reach. In some cases, they have even converged with terrorist groups. Research by alum Gregory Midgette (cohort '09) and RAND colleagues examines how these networks threaten U.S. interests and what can be done to combat them.

  • Crew Chief Pfc. James Dennis performs a torque check on the main rotor head of a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter

    Helping Soldiers Use Army Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities in Civilian Jobs

    Jan 24, 2017

    Some veterans struggle to find jobs after they leave the Army. Alum Michael Shanley (cohort '79) helped to identify a broad range of high-quality civilian jobs that match Army KSAs.

  • Man using stethoscope to diagnose options in a chart

    Oregon's Options for Financing Health Care

    Jan 19, 2017

    Federal health care reform had just begun in 2013 when Oregon authorized a study to improve how the state pays for health care. A comparison of the projected impacts and feasibility of four options—developed by alum Jodi Liu (cohort '12), professors Chapin White and Christine Eibner, and several RAND colleagues—can help Oregon's stakeholders choose the option that best suits their needs.

  • A principal and teachers meeting in the school library

    Improving School Leadership Under the Every Student Succeeds Act

    Dec 13, 2016

    School leadership is acknowledged as a valid target of educational-improvement activities in the Every Student Succeeds Act, allowing funds to be spent on strengthening it. An updated analysis by students Aziza Arifkhanova, Andriy Bega, Emilio Chavez-Herrerias, Eugene Han and RAND colleagues provides education policymakers with guidance on the use of research-based school leadership programs.

  • Kid with menu

    Changes to Kids' Menus May Help Curb Childhood Obesity

    Dec 5, 2016

    Most kids' menu items at the top 200 U.S. restaurant chains exceed the calorie counts recommended by nutrition experts, according to research by student Cameron Wright (cohort '12) and professor Deborah Cohen. The restaurant industry can embrace calorie guidelines to promote children's health and reduce childhood obesity.

  • Two students in their graduation robes walking up steps

    One-Stop Social Services Efforts May Improve Community College Outcomes

    Nov 30, 2016

    Students participating in programs that provide a comprehensive range of support services are more likely to persist in attending community college, according to research by alum Lindsay Daugherty (cohort '05).

  • Phlebotomist in hospital delivering bag of human blood to doctor

    Building a More Sustainable U.S. Blood System

    Nov 28, 2016

    Medical advances have dramatically reduced demand for blood, putting financial stress on blood centers. Student Jakub Hlavka (cohort '14) and colleagues examine how policymakers can ensure the safety and sustainability of the blood supply.

  • Gloved hands holding a blood transfusion bag

    Toward a Sustainable Blood Supply in the United States

    Nov 28, 2016

    While the U.S. blood system continues to function well, more government oversight may be needed to safeguard the future of the blood supply and prevent blood shortages from posing a risk to the public's health.

  • Primary care physician talking to a patient

    Evaluating Policy Options to Increase Primary Care in Washington State

    Nov 15, 2016

    Xiaoyu Nie (cohort '14), Simon Hollands (cohort '15) and fellow RAND researchers evaluated several policy options under consideration by the Washington State legislature to address a possible shortage of primary care physicians.

  • Military mom coloring with her two girls

    The Unified Behavioral Health Center for Military Veterans and Their Families

    Oct 26, 2016

    A collaborative model of behavioral health care implemented by the Unified Behavioral Health Center for Military Veterans has great potential to help veterans and their families.

  • Female soldier hugging a child

    A Collaborative Approach to Behavioral Health Care for Veterans and Their Families

    Oct 20, 2016

    Student Olena Bogdan (cohort '12), professor Terri Tanielian, and RAND colleagues evaluated the Unified Behavioral Health Center for Military Veterans and Their Families, a new model of behavioral health care that provides colocated and coordinated care for veterans and their families.

  • Key Leader Engagement attendees observe a solar-powered water pump while discussing ongoing projects in Farah province, Afghanistan, September 28, 2013

    CERP Projects in Afghanistan Proved Effective

    Oct 13, 2016

    Projects under the Commander's Emergency Response Program in Afghanistan ranged from rehabilitating a local well to hydro dam and reservoir restoration. The ability of the U.S. military to provide humanitarian relief and reconstruction services enhanced the operational effectiveness of U.S. forces there, according to research by student Kathleen Loa (cohort '12), professor Daniel Egel, and RAND colleagues.

  • People in a seated meditation class

    Evaluating the Effectiveness of Mindfulness Meditation for Chronic Pain

    Oct 7, 2016

    Using mindfulness meditation to treat chronic pain improves pain symptoms, depression, and quality of life, according to a study by students Eric Apaydin and Benjamin Colaiaco (both cohort '11) and professors Susanne Hempel and Sydne Newberry. More research is necessary, however, to determine the degree of effectiveness.

  • African American male meditating at home

    Evaluating Meditation Interventions for Posttraumatic Stress

    Oct 7, 2016

    Meditation appears to be effective in treating PTSD and depression symptoms, but more research is necessary, according to a systematic review by students Benjamin Colaiaco and Eric Apaydin (both cohort '11) and professor Susanne Hempel.

  • Home health worker speaking with elderly woman in her home

    Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Fall Prevention Intervention

    Oct 5, 2016

    Alum Daniel A. Waxman (cohort '10) and student Xiaoyu Nie (cohort '14) evaluated a fall prevention intervention but found no significant reduction in costs or emergency room visits.

  • Ukrainian servicemen take part in a rehearsal for the Independence Day military parade in central Kiev, Ukraine, August 22, 2016

    Security Sector Reform in Ukraine

    Oct 5, 2016

    The 2014 Maidan revolution created an opportunity for change in a system that had resisted it for 25 years. Jakub Hlavka and Andriy Bega (both cohort '14) contributed to a report that found the Ukrainian security establishment has progressed since then, but its efforts have been insufficient to address the threats now facing the nation.

  • A worker lying injured on the ground

    Workers' Compensation Reforms Helped Replace Wages and Offset Earnings Losses After the Great Recession

    Sep 27, 2016

    California workers' compensation law is likely succeeding in providing additional benefits for permanently disabled workers, and has helped to offset the impact of the Great Recession, according to research by alum Ujwal Kharel (cohort '11).

  • Doctor discussing a prescription with a patient

    Physicians with Waivers to Prescribe Buprenorphine for Opioid Addiction Have Capacity to Treat More Patients

    Sep 20, 2016

    Many American physicians who prescribe buprenorphine to treat individuals addicted to opioids are prescribing substantially below the patient limits allowed by law, according to research by alum Bradley Stein (cohort '97). More than 20 percent of waivered physicians treated only three or fewer patients.

  • Health worker giving an elderly woman a glass of water in bed

    Targeting Palliative and End-of-Life Care

    Sep 12, 2016

    Pursuing effective models for palliative care and focusing on patients with cancer, dementia, congestive heart failure, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may improve outcomes.

  • Ebola virus

    Which Countries Could Become Disease Hot Spots?

    Sep 12, 2016

    Identifying and focusing on vulnerable countries that could become hot spots for infectious disease could help in the fight against future outbreaks. Students Bill Gelfeld (cohort '14) and Yemi Okunogbe (cohort '13) teamed up with professors Melinda Moore and Chris Paul to do just that.

  • A Royal Navy sailor is reunited with his family after a long deployment with HMS Sutherland overseas

    Little Research Exists on UK Service Leavers’ Transition to Civilian Life

    Sep 8, 2016

    The Forces in Mind Trust (FiMT) supports families of UK Service leavers as they transition to civilian life. Research by Brent Anderson (cohort '14) and Prof. Agnes Schafer found that to help the FiMT, more research is needed in the areas of family engagement, family breakdown, housing and spousal employment.

  • Teacher standing in front of a classroom of students with hands raised

    Intensive Partnerships for Effective Teaching: Interim Report on Student Outcomes

    Sep 7, 2016

    Through 2013-2014, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's Intensive Partnerships for Effective Teaching initiative had a limited impact. But the recent upward trajectory in student outcomes suggests that reforms implemented as part of the study might be on the way to having a positive effect, according to research by Gabriel Weinberger (cohort '13) and professor Italo Gutierrez.

  • The Glen Canyon Dam in northern Arizona was built to provide hydroelectricity and flow regulation from the upper Colorado River Basin to the lower

    Using High-Performance Computing to Support Water Resource Planning

    Aug 25, 2016

    Alum David Groves (cohort '01) and Prof. Rob Lempert, along with researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, tested five different water management portfolios such as conservation, groundwater and seawater desalination, and water reuse, against thousands of scenarios reflecting uncertainty about future climate change and development patterns.

  • Glass globe and stethoscope on laptop

    Engineering a Roadmap for Health Information Technology in Chile

    Aug 25, 2016

    RAND developed a roadmap with five objectives for the Chilean government to expand its health information technology (health IT) capabilities over the next ten years.