Isaiah J. Simmons (he/him) is an associate policy researcher at RAND. His research examines the implications of inequitable policy narratives and policy implementation across a variety of domains, including education, the workforce, and justice-related policies. Simmons’ primary area of expertise centers racial equity in the postsecondary education engaging issues of college admissions, campus climates, faculty hiring and retention, as well as equitable treatment of collegiate athletes using qualitative methods primarily. Most recently, Simmons was a researcher at the University of Southern California at the USC Race and Equity Center. Prior to that, he worked with the Virginia Beach City Public Schools District doing leadership development for middle school and high school students. Simmons holds a Ph.D. in urban education policy and an M.P.P. from the University of Southern California, as well as a B.A. from the College of William and Mary.
Education
B.A. in psychology, College of William and Mary; M.P.P. in education policy, University of Southern California (USC); Ph.D. in urban education policy, University of Southern California (USC)