Sociologists at RAND

As a discipline devoted to scientifically understanding the social underpinnings of human behavior, sociology is at the core of the work undertaken by RAND researchers. RAND research is motivated by real-world questions or problems, to which RAND sociologists bring theoretical perspectives and methodological tools that help elucidate the role of social context and social actions. RAND sociologists publish articles in academic journals, edited volumes, books, along with reports peer-reviewed and published by RAND. They work in interdisciplinary teams with psychologists, economists, and subject area specialists representing expertise on specific topics.

There are roughly 25 sociologists working throughout RAND, housed within the Economics, Sociology, and Statistics Department and the Behavioral Sciences Department, depending on research orientation and interests. They work across a range of research units including Health Care, Education and Labor, and Social and Economic Well-Being. Sociologists at RAND bring a wide range of quantitative and qualitative skills to an even wider range of research projects funded by a variety of sponsors, including government agencies and private foundations, to study a diverse set of social problems. These include topics such as racial and ethnic disparities in health behaviors, college access and affordability for low-income students, group dynamics and cohesion in the military, and social networks and behavior. Resources are available to support proposal development by researchers wishing to seek their own funding, including coverage of time and mentoring from senior researchers.

RAND has an active interest group of sociologists who meet regularly for discussion of sociological aspects of RAND work and external speakers.

Employment Opportunities

Specific openings vary - search the RAND Corporation Job Portal for current opportunities.

Researcher Spotlight

Chloe E. Bird

Adjunct Sociologist

Chloe E. Bird (she/her), an adjunct sociologist at the RAND Corporation and professor of policy analysis at the Pardee RAND Graduate School studies women's health and determinants of sex/gender differences in health and health care. Bird has served as senior advisor in the National Institutes of…
Cynthia R. Cook

Professor, Pardee RAND Graduate School, and Adjunct Management Scientist, RAND

Cynthia R. Cook is an adjunct management scientist at the RAND Corporation and a professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. Since joining RAND in 1997, Cook led and worked on a wide range of studies for FEMA, the United States Department of Defense, Australia, Canada, and the UK on subjects…
Ian D. Coulter

Senior Health Policy Researcher

Ian Coulter is codirector of the RAND Center for Collaborative Research in Complemntary and Integrative Health, a senior health policy researcher at the RAND Corporation, professor emeritus at UCLA, and research professor at the Southern California University of Health Sciences. He has more than…
Dmitry Khodyakov

Codirector, Center for Qualitative and Mixed Methods

Dmitry Khodyakov is a senior sociologist at the RAND Corporation, a codirector of the RAND Center for Qualitative and Mixed Methods, and a professor at the RAND Pardee Graduate School. His research focuses on methods of expert elicitation and stakeholder engagement, Medicare Advantage,…
Nelson Lim

Director, Workforce, Development, and Health Program, RAND Project AIR FORCE

Nelson 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…
Sarah O. Meadows

Senior Sociologist

Sarah O. Meadows is a senior sociologist at the RAND Corporation and a professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. Her research areas include families and children (both civilian and military) and defense manpower issues, with a particular focus on readiness and resilience, women's…
Laura L. Miller

Senior Social Scientist

Laura L. Miller is a senior social scientist at the RAND Corporation. For 30 years she has studied the lives of military personnel and their families through surveys, observations, discussion groups, one-on-one interviews, and analyses of military policy and personnel data. Research topics…
Christopher Paul

Senior Social Scientist

Christopher Paul is a senior social scientist at the RAND Corporation and a professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. Paul provides research support related to operations in the information environment, information warfare, the information joint/warfighting function, counterpropaganda, cyber…
Michael S. Pollard

Senior Sociologist

Michael S. Pollard is a senior sociologist at the RAND Corporation and a professor at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. His primary research areas include social networks and health (physical, mental, and health behaviors), demography, and family. His recent work has focused on the health…
Margaret M. Weden

Senior Social Scientist

Margaret Weden (she/her) is a demographer and public health scientist with nearly two decades of experience studying health and social wellbeing. She is the acting director of the RAND Population Research Center and a Pardee RAND Graduate School Professor. Her research focuses on the multilevel,…