Nancy Nicosia

Photo of Nancy Nicosia
Senior Economist; Professor, Pardee RAND Graduate School
Boston Office

Education

Ph.D. in economics, University of California, Berkeley

Overview

Biography

Nancy Nicosia is a senior economist at the RAND Corporation. Her recent research has focused on the intersection of substance use, health, and crime. Her research includes an examination of the extent to which methamphetamine use can be linked to adverse health and social outcomes. She has also examined how state and federal regulations restricting over-the-counter products containing pseudoephedrine affect methamphetamine's availability and use as well as methamphetamine-related health and crime outcomes. Nicosia has also worked in the area of child health and nutrition. Her work in this area includes an examination of how junk food availability in school impacts children's BMI, how maternal work affects school meal participation and how neighborhood safety influences children's physical activity. She received her Ph.D. in economics from the University of California, Berkeley.

Research Focus

Recent Projects

  • Methamphetamine precursor regulations
  • Economic costs of methamphetamine use
  • Junk food availability and child obesity
  • Adolescent crime and victimization

Selected Publications

Kilmer, Beau, Nancy Nicosia, Paul Heaton and Gregory Midgette, "Efficacy of Frequent Monitoring with Swift, Certain, and Modest Sanctions for Violations: Insights from South Dakota's 24/7 Sobriety Project," American Journal of Public Health

Datar, Ashlesha and Nancy Nicosia, "Junk Food in Schools and Childhood Obesity," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management

Nancy Nicosia, Rosalie Liccardo Pacula, Beau Kilmer, Russell Lundberg, and James Chiesa, The Economic Cost of Methamphetamine in the U.S. - 2005, RAND (MG-829)

Dobkin, Carlos and Nancy Nicosia, "The War on Drugs: Methamphetamine, Public Health and Crime," American Economic Review

Economics

Recent Projects

  • Impact of methamphetamine abuse on health and crime
  • Economic costs of methamphetamine abuse
  • The effect of treatment on community outcomes
  • Economic determinants of school meal participation
  • Competitive food availability in schools

Selected Publications

Kilmer, Beau, Nancy Nicosia, Paul Heaton and Gregory Midgette, "Efficacy of Frequent Monitoring with Swift, Certain, and Modest Sanctions for Violations: Insights from South Dakota's 24/7 Sobriety Project," American Journal of Public Health

Datar, Ashlesha and Nancy Nicosia, "Junk Food in Schools and Childhood Obesity," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management

Dobkin, Carlos and Nancy Nicosia, "The War on Drugs: Methamphetamine, Public Health and Crime," American Economic Review

Publications

Disparities in Criminal Court Referrals to Drug Treatment and Prison for Minority Men - 2013

An Innovative Way to Curb Problem Drinking: South Dakota's 24/7 Sobriety Project - 2012

Efficacy of Frequent Monitoring with Swift, Certain, and Modest Sanctions for Violations: Insights from South Dakota 24/7 Sobriety Project - 2012

Assessing the Performance of Military Treatment Facilities - 2011

Preventing Obesity and Its Consequences: Highlights of RAND Health Research - 2011

Understanding the Public Health Implications of Prisoner Reentry in California: State-of-the-State Report - 2011

What Are the Public Health Implications of Prisoner Reentry in California? - 2011

The Economics of Air Force Medical Service Readiness - 2010

What Economics Can Contribute to the Addiction Sciences - 2010

Assessing Parolees' Health Care Needs and Potential Access to Health Care Services in California - 2009

Food Prices and Transitions in School Meal Participation During Elementary School - 2009

Junk Foods in School and Childhood Obesity: Much Ado About Nothing? - 2009

The Costs of Methamphetamine Use: A National Estimate - 2009

The Economic Cost of Methamphetamine Use in the United States, 2005 - 2009

The Impact of Maternal Labor Supply on Children's School Meal Participation - 2009

The Medicare Hospice Payment System: A Consideration of Potential Refinements - 2009

The War on Drugs: Methamphetamine, Public Health, and Crime - 2009

Understanding the Public Health Implications of Prisoner Reentry in California: Phase I Report - 2009

Comparing For-Profit and Not-for-Profit Health Care Providers: A Review of the Literature - 2007

Measuring the Use of Women-Owned Small Businesses in Federal Contracting - 2007

The Utilization of Women-Owned Small Businesses in Federal Contracting - 2007

Implementing Purchasing and Supply Chain Management: Best Practices in Market Research - 2006

Market Research Can Help the Air Force Maintain a High-Quality Supply Base - 2006

The Medicare Hospice Payment System: A Preliminary Consideration of Potential Refinements - 2006

Air Force Service Procurement: Approaches for Measurement and Management - 2005

Enhancing Public Health Preparedness: Exercises, Exemplary Practices, and Lessons Learned: Assessing the Adequacy of Extant Exercises for Addressing Local and State Readiness for Public Health Emergencies - 2005

How Well is the Air Force Improving Services Acquisition? New Metrics Can Help - 2005

Improving Contracting at the City of Los Angeles Airports, Port, and Department of Water and Power - 2005

Junk Foods in Schools and Childhood Obesity -