Patterns of Institutional Trust During COVID-19
To explore patterns of institutional trust among adults in the United States Gulf Coast region, we utilized data from the Survey of Trauma, Resilience, and Opportunity among Neighborhoods in the Gulf.
Vanessa Parks is an adjunct behavioral/social scientist at RAND and the director of the Center for Population Studies and an associate professor of sociology at the University of Mississippi. Her work explores the ways that social and natural environments are related to health. Her recent projects have focused on migration intentions, evacuation after hurricanes, housing costs, caregiving, and alcohol use after the COVID-19 pandemic. Methodologically, she designs and analyzes multimode surveys, and her work is designed to be of use to policymakers and community-based organizations. She has expertise in issues facing Southern states, particularly the Gulf Coast and the Mississippi Delta.
Education
Ph.D. in sociology, Louisiana State University; M.A. in sociology, University of Mississippi Main Campus; B.A. in English writing, The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Concurrent Non-RAND Positions
Associate Professor of Sociology, University of Mississippi; Director of the Center for Population Studies, University of Mississippi
Selected Work
- Alyson B. Harding, Andrew M. Parker, Vanessa Parks, Rachana Seelam, Samer Atshan, Allison Dormanesh, Kirsten Becker, Bonnie Ghosh Dastidar, Rajeev Ramchand, Melissa L. Finucane, Tim Slack, Pamela N. Waldron-Moore, and Lynsay Ayer, "Cohort Profile: Design and Respondent Characteristics for the Longitudinal Survey of Trauma, Resilience and Opportunity Among Neighbourhoods in the Gulf (STRONG) Cohort," BMJ Open, 16(2), 2026
- Andrew, Megan, Daniel Schwam, and Vanessa Parks, The Local Geography of Housing Cost Burden: Advantages and Disadvantages Among Veterans, RAND Corporation (RR-A1363-14), 2025
- Ramchand, Rajeev, Sarah Dalton, Tamara Dubowitz, Kelly Hyde, Nipher Malika, Andrew R. Morral, Elie Ohana, Vanessa Parks, Terry L. Schell, Gretchen Swabe, Thomas E. Trail, and Kayla M. Williams, America's Military and Veteran Caregivers: Hidden Heroes Emerging from the Shadows, RAND Corporation (RR-A3212-1), 2024
- Parks, Vanessa, Bridget R. Kane, Lewis Schneider, and Gary Cecchine, Opportunities for an Artificial Intelligence–Focused Research Hub in Jackson, Mississippi, RAND Corporation (RR-A3345-1), 2024
- JoNell Strough, Andrew M. Parker, Lynsay Ayer, Vanessa Parks, Melissa L. Finucane, "Aging and Emotional Well-Being After Disasters: Vulnerability and Resilience," The Gerontologist, 2023
- Vanessa Parks, "Perceived Environmental Threats, Place Attachment, and Natural Resource Employment: Predicting Willingness to Move from a Threatened Coastline," Environmental Sociology, 9(3), 2023
- Vanessa Parks, Lynsay Ayer, Rajeev Ramchand, and Melissa L. Finucane, "Disaster Experience, Social Capitals, and Behavioral Health," Natural Hazards, 104, 2020
- Vanessa Parks, Tim Slack, Rajeev Ramchand, Leah Drakeford, Melissa L. Finucane, and Matthew R. Lee, "Fishing Households, Social Support, and Depression After the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill," Rural Sociology, 85(2), 2020
Authored by Vanessa Parks
27 Results
