Ph.D. in education, University of California, Riverside; M.A. in sociology, California State University, Fullerton; B.A. in sociology, American University of Beirut, Lebanon
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 ExpertsRita Karam is a senior policy researcher at the RAND Corporation. She investigates post-secondary education and K–12 reforms. She researches postsecondary interventions and restructuring, college-industry partnerships, workforce development, career pathways and alignment between K–12 and postsecondary institutions, adult education, and career services and advising interventions.
In her work she utilizes mixed methods to examine the implementation of such initiatives and their effects on the learning, persistence, completion, and employment of student groups that vary in social economic status, race, and life circumstances. She considers various factors such as the complexity of programs and their coherence with local policies as well as other government policies, and their alignment with cultural values.
Karam has provided technical assistance and formative feedback to funders, colleges, and other stakeholders at the local and state levels. She has been an invited speaker and provided testimonials on post-secondary education to a variety of state level stakeholders.
Karam is a member of RAND's DEI Staff Advisory Council and is coleading the Advancing Equity through Implementation Science (ADvis) RAND Strategy Group. She also serves on RAND's Institutional Review Board.
She earned her Ph.D. in education from the University of California, Riverside.
Karam, Rita T., Charles A. Goldman, and Monica Rico, Career Services and College-Employer Partnership Practices in Community Colleges: Colleges in California, Ohio, and Texas, RAND Corporation (RR-A1873-1), 2022
Karam, R.T., Zellman, G.L., Perlman, M, "Child Cognitive Development and Parent Roles: A Preliminary Comparison of Moroccan Parents to United States and United Kingdom Benchmarks," Journal of Child and Family Studies, 2023
Karam, R., Straus, S., Byers, A., Kase, C., Cefalu, M., "The Role of Online Communities in Promoting Sociotechnical Capital among Science Teachers," Educational Technology Research Development, 2017
Karam, R, Pane, J., Griffin, B.A., Robyn, A., Phillips, A., and Daugherty, L., "Examining the Implementation of Technology-Based Blended Algebra I Curriculum at Scale Cognitive Tutor Algebra 1 Program in Middle and High Schools," Educational Technology Research Development, 2016
Karam, R. and Zellman, G., "Educating Syrian Refugees: Challenges Facing Host Countries," Georgetown Journal of International Affairs, 2017
Karam, R., Goldman, C., Basco, D., and Carew, D. , Managing the Expansion of Graduate Education in Texas, RAND (RR-1899), 2017
Karam, R., Stecher, B., Tsai, T., Grimm, G., and Schweig, J, Mathematics Audit of DoDEA Schools: 2014–2015, RAND (RR-1272), 2016
