Elizabeth Bodine-Baron

Engineer; Associate Director, Force Modernization and Employment Program, Project Air Force; Co-Director, RAND Center for Applied Network Analysis and System Science

Washington Office

Education

Ph.D., M.S. in electrical engineering, California Institute of Technology; B.S. in electrical engineering, University of Texas at Austin; B.A. in liberal arts, University of Texas at Austin

Media Resources

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.

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Overview

Elizabeth Bodine-Baron is an engineer specializing in complex networks and systems at the RAND Corporation. She is the associate director of the Force Modernization and Employment Program in Project Air Force and co-directs the RAND Center for Applied Network Analysis and System Science. Her research interests include network analysis and modeling for both domestic and national security issues. Her recent work for the United States Air Force includes analysis of cybersecurity, logistics, targeting and intelligence policy. She has used network analysis of social media data to study CVE messaging, Russian propaganda, ISIS support and opposition networks, CENTCOM information operations, and US Army recruiting efforts. Bodine-Baron received a B.S. in electrical engineering and a B.A. in liberal arts (Plan II Honors) from the University of Texas at Austin in 2006, and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from California Institute of Technology in 2012.

Research Focus

Recent Projects

Russian Social Media Influence
Examining ISIS Supporters and Opponents on Twitter
Robust and Resilient Logistics Operations in a Degraded Information Environment
Cyber Mission Assurance in Weapon System Acquisition
Enabling an Efficient and Effective Global SOF Network

Honors & Awards

Council on Foreign Relations Term Member, CFR
Silver Medal/Innovation Award, RAND

Commentary

Fighting the Islamic State on Social Media
Countering ISIL in the real world also requires countering its messaging online. It is critical that the U.S. and its international partners work with influential communities in the region that can more effectively and credibly counter the ISIL narrative.
Oct 11, 2016 Pacific Council on International Policy

Publications

Report
Social Media and the Army: Implications for Outreach and Recruiting
Social media platforms play a key role in the U.S. Army's outreach and recruiting efforts. The authors analyzed these efforts to see if and how potential recruits and others are engaging with the Army's content and offer related recommendations.
Jun 3, 2019
Report
Roberta Wohlstetter Forum on National Security: Game Changers in 21st Century Warfare
RAND hosted a forum on national security that honors the legacy of Roberta Wohlstetter, a military analyst who worked at RAND from 1948 until 1965. Panelists discussed areas that demand new approaches for national security and defense.
Mar 19, 2019
Report
Countering Russian Social Media Influence
The Russian government's campaigns of disinformation -- political, social, religious, or otherwise -- have found a comfortable home on social media. This report presents strategies to counter Russian social media influence.
Nov 1, 2018
Report
Russian Social Media Influence: Understanding Russian Propaganda in Eastern Europe
Researchers analyzed Russian social media data and conducted interviews with regional and security experts to understand the critical ingredients to countering Russia's propaganda campaign against former Soviet states.
Apr 12, 2018
Report
Report
Robust and Resilient Logistics Operations in a Degraded Information Environment
The U.S. Air Force asked RAND Project AIR FORCE to examine how tactics, techniques, and procedures should change to improve an airman's ability to detect, evaluate, and mitigate significant corruption of logistics data.
Nov 22, 2017
Report
Report
The Global Landpower Network: Recommendations for Strengthening Army Engagement
The U.S. Army's global landpower network concept integrates, sustains, and advances the Army's efforts to meet U.S. national security guidance emphasizing the importance of working closely with partner nations to achieve U.S. strategic objectives.
Aug 21, 2017
Report
Empowering ISIS Opponents on Twitter
This Perspective presents options for operationalizing recent RAND Corporation findings about ISIS opponents and supporters on Twitter. It formulates a countermessaging approach for two main communication pathways.
Apr 21, 2017
Report
Examining ISIS Support and Opposition Networks on Twitter
This report examines the debate about the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) on Arabic Twitter and uses a mixed-methods analytic approach to identify and characterize in detail the Twitter networks of ISIS supporters and opponents.
Aug 16, 2016
Research Brief
Research Brief
Cybersecurity of Air Force Weapon Systems: Ensuring Cyber Mission Assurance Throughout a System's Life Cycle
Discusses how the Air Force acquisition/life-cycle management community can improve cybersecurity throughout the life cycle of Air Force weapon systems.
Oct 27, 2015
Report
Improving the Cybersecurity of U.S. Air Force Military Systems Throughout Their Life Cycles
Examines how the Air Force acquisition/life-cycle management community can improve cybersecurity throughout the life cycle of its military systems.
Oct 27, 2015
Multimedia
Multimedia
Using Network Analysis Methods to Support the Global SOF Network
This video explores how network analysis metrics--in particular "in-degree" and "betweenness centrality"--can be used to identify potentially influential nodes in a network using, and uses an example network of South Asian countries.
Nov 13, 2014