Susan Bush-Mecenas (she/her) is a policy researcher at RAND and a professor of policy analysis at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. Her research and evaluation work examines the enactment and implementation of policy using rigorous, innovative qualitative methods, often drawing upon perspectives from organizational theory, sociology, and political science. She has studied a wide variety of education policy topics, including continuous improvement, equity-focused reforms, capacity building, intermediary organizations, school system leadership and management, teacher evaluation, and instructional coherence.
Prior to joining RAND, she was a postdoctoral research fellow at the Northwestern University School of Education and Social Policy. She is also trained in implementation facilitation through the Quality Enhancement Research Initiative (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs). Bush-Mecenas holds a Ph.D. in urban education policy from the University of Southern California and an M.A. in policy, organization, and leadership studies from Stanford University.
Ph.D. in urban education policy, University of Southern California; MA in policy, organization, & leadership studies, Stanford University; BM in music education w/ teaching credential, University of Southern California
