Children, Families, and Communities Research

RAND School students and faculty help provide solutions to the social welfare and economic challenges faced by children and families, vulnerable populations, and historically marginalized communities. RAND’s work in this area, including the Center on Housing and Homelessness, aims to understand why people make the decisions they do and how individuals and communities can increase their resilience.

Student-Faculty Research Collaborations

Through project-based research and other OJT and experiential learning opportunities, students work with faculty mentors to obtain professional skills and tacit knowledge that courses alone cannot convey. Here are a few recent projects and their resulting research.

Evaluating Enhanced Permanent Supportive Housing Services for California Veterans
Ph.D. student Ben Senator worked with RAND researchers to evaluate California’s Veterans Support to Self-Reliance pilot program and found that it kept formerly homeless veterans housed at a fraction of the cost of nursing facilities or assisted living, and their health outcomes improved.
Feasibility of Reduced-Credit Bachelor’s Degrees in Ohio
Ph.D. students Jonah Kushner and Min Jung Kim studied the feasibility of reduced-credit bachelor’s degree programs in Ohio, and found that reduced-credit pathways could be promising for adult learners and re-engaged students who are seeking more-structured and more-efficient routes to a degree.
Examining the Implementation and Impact of Pediatric ACE Screening
California clinics found that screening children for adverse childhood experiences is practical when staff are well-trained and supported. It can help families access necessary care and services while reducing emergency room visits. Ph.D. student Stacey Yi worked with RAND researchers on the screening process examination.
Veterans' Participation in Public Programs
Working with RAND researchers, Ph.D. students Catria Gadwah-Meadenand LeeAnn Stevens found that veterans who receive VA Disability Compensation participate in public assistance programs at lower rates than nonveterans. Their VA income interacts in complicated ways with the rest of the social safety net. Programs should clarify how VA income affects eligibility for other benefits.
School District Leaders Are Facing Shrinking Budgets and Fewer Students
Budget shortfalls have become the top challenge U.S. public school district leaders are facing in 2026, with 54 percent of them ranking it in their top three concerns. Ph.D. student AK Keskin worked alongside RAND researchers to examine how these challenges are affecting districts nationwide.
Increasing College Students’ Access to SNAP
Ph.D. student Min Jung Kim and other RAND researchers find that changing or broadening student eligibility rules for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) would likely increase participation more than outreach or case management alone.

Explore RAND School student-authored research on Children, Families, and Communities

Feb 23, 2026

Sun-sational Incentives: Residential Solar in the Golden State

This analysis of the impact of income on the effectiveness of solar incentives in California suggests that incentives yield greater installation rates and capacity in higher-income areas than in less affluent ones—a key insight for incentive policies.

David DeSmet
Oct 28, 2025

Neighborhood Change, Housing Market Dynamics, and Racial Inequality in Property Taxes

The author of this dissertation investigates the mechanisms and extent of racial inequality in property tax burdens.

Kelsey O'Hollaren
Aug 15, 2025

The Importance of Being There: A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Men’s Utilization of California’s Paid Family Leave Program

The author of this dissertation investigates the gender gap in the usage of California’s Paid Family Leave Program by using a quantitative data analysis and qualitative interviews with parents eligible to use the program.

Noah Johnson
Oct 29, 2024

A Dynamic Microsimulation Model for Aging and Health in Taiwan: The Taiwan Future Elderly Model: Forecasting Future Population with Dementia and Functional Limitations and Its Implications for Formal Long-Term Care Capacity

Adapts the U.S. Future Elderly Model using Taiwanese data to create the Taiwan Future Elderly Model (TFEM) to provide a better policy planning tool for Taiwan in the face of an aging society.

Annie Chen
Jul 24, 2024

Unintended Consequences? Medicaid Drop-Out in Families with Mixed Immigration Status

Studies an identification algorithm to isolate likely undocumented respondents to the Current Population Survey's Annual Social and Economic Supplement to compare Medicaid drop-out rates among eligible children in families with a variety of statuses.

Jamie L. Ryan
Apr 8, 2024

Identifying Communities of Interest Using Contact Graphs

Introduces a systematic method for identifying communities of interest using contact graphs and community detection algorithms and evaluates this method.

James Syme
Mar 27, 2024

Late-Life Depression among Rural Women in China: Exploring the Role of Education and Other Risk Factors

Investigates the factors influencing late-life depression among older rural women in China.

Lynn Hu
Sep 19, 2023

Young Adult Relationship Dynamics on Instagram: An Emerging Identity Perspective

Investigates the effects of Instagram on its users, specifically focusing on potential dynamics leading to negative mental health impacts.

Eddie López III

View all RAND School dissertations

Children, Families, and Communities Research

Student-Faculty Research Collaborations

Evaluating Enhanced Permanent Supportive Housing Services for California Veterans

Feasibility of Reduced-Credit Bachelor’s Degrees in Ohio

Examining the Implementation and Impact of Pediatric ACE Screening

Veterans' Participation in Public Programs

School District Leaders Are Facing Shrinking Budgets and Fewer Students

Increasing College Students’ Access to SNAP

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Sun-sational Incentives: Residential Solar in the Golden State

Neighborhood Change, Housing Market Dynamics, and Racial Inequality in Property Taxes

The Importance of Being There: A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Men’s Utilization of California’s Paid Family Leave Program

A Dynamic Microsimulation Model for Aging and Health in Taiwan: The Taiwan Future Elderly Model: Forecasting Future Population with Dementia and Functional Limitations and Its Implications for Formal Long-Term Care Capacity

Unintended Consequences? Medicaid Drop-Out in Families with Mixed Immigration Status

Identifying Communities of Interest Using Contact Graphs

Late-Life Depression among Rural Women in China: Exploring the Role of Education and Other Risk Factors

Young Adult Relationship Dynamics on Instagram: An Emerging Identity Perspective

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Children, Families, and Communities Research

Student-Faculty Research Collaborations

Evaluating Enhanced Permanent Supportive Housing Services for California Veterans

Feasibility of Reduced-Credit Bachelor’s Degrees in Ohio

Examining the Implementation and Impact of Pediatric ACE Screening

Veterans' Participation in Public Programs

School District Leaders Are Facing Shrinking Budgets and Fewer Students

Increasing College Students’ Access to SNAP

Related Dissertations

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Sun-sational Incentives: Residential Solar in the Golden State

Neighborhood Change, Housing Market Dynamics, and Racial Inequality in Property Taxes

The Importance of Being There: A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Men’s Utilization of California’s Paid Family Leave Program

A Dynamic Microsimulation Model for Aging and Health in Taiwan: The Taiwan Future Elderly Model: Forecasting Future Population with Dementia and Functional Limitations and Its Implications for Formal Long-Term Care Capacity

Unintended Consequences? Medicaid Drop-Out in Families with Mixed Immigration Status

Identifying Communities of Interest Using Contact Graphs

Late-Life Depression among Rural Women in China: Exploring the Role of Education and Other Risk Factors

Young Adult Relationship Dynamics on Instagram: An Emerging Identity Perspective

Oops! An unexpected error has occurred.