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Pittsburgh

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As the home of one of RAND's principal North American offices, the Pittsburgh region is understandably the focal point of significant RAND interest. Research studies have focused on topics ranging from child health and well-being and the structure of Pittsburgh Public Schools to the region's government and infrastructure.

Project
How Does Neighborhood Investment Affect Residents' Health and Well-Being?
RAND's PHRESH project has been studying how investments in two Pittsburgh neighborhoods affect diet, sleep, health, and well-being. We've learned that when residents are involved in decisions, communities can become healthier and happier.
Jun 8, 2021
Report
Pittsburgh's Science- and Technology-Focused Workforce
About 18 percent of Pittsburgh's employment is in science- and technology-focused occupations, and the growth rate suggests the need for more workers in the future. What investments and policy changes could safeguard the region's strengths and support it as a flourishing science and technology hub?
Jan 9, 2023

Explore Pittsburgh

Journal Article
Multi-dimensional Profiles of Risk and Their Association with Obesity-Severity in Low-Income Black Women
Multi-level strategies may support low-income Black women’s resilience to obesity who face neighborhood-level and socioeconomic stressors.
Nov 6, 2023
Journal Article
Students' Consumption of High and Low Nutrition Foods and Reduced Plate Waste by Schools' Wellness-Related Policies and Garden Program Participation
Participation in school-based programs that may support children's nutritious dietary behaviours varies across schools. We examined school participation in wellness-related policies, school-based garden programs and students' dietary behaviours.
Nov 6, 2023
Journal Article
Longitudinal Associations Between Sleep and BMI in a Low-Income, Predominantly Black American Sample
This study provides further evidence that, among a sample of low-income Black adults, sleep problems are not longitudinally predictive of BMI.
Oct 9, 2023
Commentary
The City of Pittsburgh's a Movie Star
Pennsylvania lawmakers and other stakeholders should consider updates to the film tax credit law and economic development strategy to improve the state's competitiveness, enhance the stability of the industry, and fill gaps in the current workforce.
Oct 5, 2023
Blog
Private Military Contractors, China's Efforts to Imprison Tibetans, Truth Decay: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on undermining Russia's private military contractors, what nighttime lighting reveals about the Chinese Communist Party's efforts to imprison Tibetans, how Truth Decay damages national security, and more.
Aug 11, 2023
Report
The Film Industry in Pittsburgh: What's the Economic Contribution?
A Pennsylvania tax credit has attracted many film productions to Pittsburgh. What economic contribution does the film industry make to the local economy? And what are the factors that help attract film productions and grow the film industry in a given area?
Aug 10, 2023
Blog
Taiwan, Gun Violence, Fishing in the Arctic: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on the potential for a Chinese attack on Taiwan, America's persistent gun violence problem, managing Arctic fisheries, and more.
Jul 7, 2023
Research Brief
The Impact of Defense Counsel at Bail Hearings
Roughly half of U.S. counties do not provide defense counsel at bail hearings. An experiment shows that providing counsel can decrease the use of monetary bail and pretrial detention. But having a public defender at the bail hearing did result in a short-term increase in rearrests on theft charges.
Jun 30, 2023
Journal Article
What Is Associated with Changes in Food Security Among Low-Income Residents of a Former Food Desert?
We compared study participants in a former food desert neighborhood whose food security improved to those whose food security did not improve across survey waves. Distance to major food shopping store was positively associated with food security.
May 16, 2023
Journal Article
The Impact of Defense Counsel at Bail Hearings
Roughly half of U.S. counties do not provide defense counsel at bail hearings, and few studies have documented the potential impacts of legal representation at this stage.
May 11, 2023
News Release
Providing Legal Counsel at Initial Bail Hearings Reduces Use of Cash Bail, Lowers Incarceration
Providing defendants with legal counsel during their initial bail hearing decreases use of monetary bail and pretrial detention, without increasing the likelihood that defendants fail to appear at the subsequent preliminary hearing.
May 5, 2023
Journal Article
Do Social Isolation and Neighborhood Walkability Influence Relationships Between COVID-19 Experiences and Wellbeing in Predominantly Black Urban Areas?
Black Americans have been disproportionately affected by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19) pandemic.
Jan 31, 2023
News Release
Pittsburgh Science and Technology Sector Is Large, but Faces Challenges; Improvements Needed to Continue to Flourish
The Pittsburgh region has a robust science and technology sector that is larger than the national average, but action is needed to safeguard the region's strengths and further its ability to compete with other technology hubs.
Jan 9, 2023
Tool
Science and Technology-Focused Postsecondary Options in the Pittsburgh Area
RAND researchers compiled a list of science- and technology-focused (STF) providers and programs in the Pittsburgh area. Potential students can filter the list to find out which types of degrees or certificates can be earned in which STF fields.
Jan 9, 2023
Report
Expanding Charter School Capacity: The Case of Propel Montour
Researchers examine the expansion of Propel Schools, a small, regional charter school network in southwestern Pennsylvania, to describe the academic and behavioral experiences of continuing and expansion students from fall 2017 to spring 2020.
Sep 29, 2021
Periodical
RAND Review: July-August 2021
One feature highlights how researchers apply an equity lens to projects on environmental racism, incarcerated parents, and the lives of Black service members; a second describes interventions to address disparities in infant mortality rates.
Jul 1, 2021
Blog
China's Ambitions, Origins of the Coronavirus, Income Inequality: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on China’s quest for global primacy, understanding the coronavirus origin story, how parents feel about sending their children back to school, and more.
Jun 11, 2021
Journal Article
SNAP Participants and High Levels of Food Insecurity in the Early Stages of the COVID-19 Pandemic
We examined how people enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic, particularly Black participants, and participants residing in food deserts.
Apr 2, 2021

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RAND Topic:
Pittsburgh

Topic Synonyms:
Pittsburgh Office

Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Catherine H. Augustine

Director, Pittsburgh Office

Catherine Augustine is director of the RAND Pittsburgh Office and a senior researcher at the RAND Corporation, with more than 20 years of experience conducting education research. She is also a professor of policy analysis at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. Augustine focuses on improving…
Melanie A. Zaber

Economist

Melanie Zaber (she/her) is an economist at RAND, codirector of the Middle-Class Pathways Center, and a professor of policy analysis at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. She has diverse research interests spanning workforce development, postsecondary education, gender equity, and access to civil…

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