Ph.D. and M.A. in sociology, University of California, Los Angeles; B.A. in economics, University of California, Los Angeles
This researcher is available for interviews.
To arrange an interview, contact the RAND Office of Media Relations at (310) 451-6913, or email media@rand.org.
More ExpertsNelson Lim is director of the Workforce, Development, and Health (WDH) program in RAND Project AIR FORCE and a senior social scientist at the RAND Corporation. In 2022, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III appointed Lim a member of the Defense Advisory Committee on Diversity and Inclusion (DACODAI).
As the director of WDH, he oversees a portfolio of projects to improve the Department of Air Force's human resource management (HRM) practices and advises senior leaders of the United States Air Force and Space Force on personnel policies. As a senior social scientist, he has led HRM projects for a diverse group of clients, including the Department of Defense, the United States Armed Forces, the United States Secret Service, the Department of Homeland Security, the United States Coast Guard, National Security Agency, the Department of Justice, the City of Los Angeles, and the City of San Diego.
For nearly two decades, Lim has dedicated his career to improving diversity, equity, and inclusion in his clients' workforces. In 2009, Lim led the Military Leadership Diversity Commission (MLDC), a congressionally mandated commission to improve the diversity of top military leaders, as the research director. In addition to working with federal agencies and large corporations, Lim has worked with cities to assist police and fire departments with their recruiting. He assisted the Los Angeles Police Department and the San Diego Police Department in identifying potential barriers to improving the recruiting and diversity of their recruits.
