Nelson Lim

Nelson Lim
Director, Workforce, Development, and Health Program, RAND Project AIR FORCE; Senior Social Scientist; Professor of Policy Analysis, Pardee RAND Graduate School
Santa Monica Office

Education

Ph.D. and M.A. in sociology, University of California, Los Angeles; B.A. in economics, University of California, Los Angeles

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

Nelson Lim directs the Workforce, Development, and Health (WDH) program in RAND Project AIR FORCE. He oversees projects to enhance the Department of Air Force's human resource management (HRM) practices and counsels senior leaders of the U.S. Air Force and Space Force regarding personnel policies. As a senior social scientist, he spearheads HRM projects for a wide array of clients, including the Department of Defense, U.S. Armed Forces, U.S. Secret Service, Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Coast Guard, National Security Agency, City of Los Angeles, and City of San Diego. He is also a professor of policy analysis at Pardee RAND Graduate School.

Lim has devoted his career to enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in his clients' workforces for nearly two decades. In 2009, Lim served as the research director for the Military Leadership Diversity Commission (MLDC), a congressionally mandated commission to improve top military leaders' diversity. Beyond federal agencies and corporations, Lim has collaborated with cities to help police and fire departments in their recruiting efforts. In 2022, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III named Lim a member of the Defense Advisory Committee on Diversity and Inclusion (DACODAI).

In recent years, Lim has explored ways to apply emerging technologies such as Machine Learning (ML) Techniques, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Large Language Models (LLM) to HRM. His work investigates potential barriers in technology-enabled talent management practices, like data quality and potential biases, and formulates mitigation strategies to counteract those biases.

Lim earned his Ph.D. in sociology from UCLA.

Concurrent Non-RAND Positions

Member, Defense Advisory Committee on Diversity and Inclusion (DACODAI)

Languages

Burmese

Commentary

  • Police-Community Relations

    Progress After Ferguson? Good Ideas Need Good Implementation

    President Obama's Task Force on 21st Century Policing has done a great service by providing dozens of sound recommendations—good ideas that could help avoid another Ferguson. Now we need good implementation to go along with them.

    Mar 9, 2015

    The RAND Blog

  • Police-Community Relations

    Can Big Data Help Build Trust in the Police?

    After two controversial grand jury decisions not to indict police in the deaths of unarmed African Americans, a White House task force has 90 days to provide recommendations for promoting accountability among law enforcement agencies to cultivate trust between police and communities. The timeline may seem impossible, but, sadly, these issues are old and the solutions are well known.

    Dec 11, 2014

    Newsweek

  • Workforce Diversity

    The Realities of Silicon Valley's Lack of Workforce Diversity

    Major Silicon Valley tech firms have released statistics indicating their workforces are largely made up of white men. Corporate America is on the receiving end of a complex chain of social and educational factors that continue to leave minorities behind in terms of college graduation, and both minorities and women behind in terms of STEM degrees.

    Oct 2, 2014

    San Francisco Chronicle

  • Emerging Technologies

    Crime Victims: Silicon Valley Tech Industry Can Get Them the Help They Need

    A broader approach is needed to better address the needs of millions of American victims of crimes like sexual assault, family violence, financial exploitation, gun violence, identity theft, burglary and stalking. And that's where Silicon Valley's tech community can step up.

    Aug 11, 2014

    The Mercury News

  • Law Enforcement

    The Decline of Racial Profiling

    President Obama called the arrest of Professor Henry Gates a "teachable moment." This is a moment to learn the facts of race and policing these days. Racial profiling has indeed been an ugly reality for many years. But our research finds little evidence that it continues to be a major problem, write Greg Ridgeway and Nelson Lim.

    Jul 30, 2009

    CNN.com

Publications