Sociology at RAND: What is Sociology Like in a Think Tank?

• In Event: 2481 - Sociology in Practice Settings Symposium Roundtable Session
  In Informal Discussion Roundtable: Table 05. Translating Academic Sociology to Applied Careers

Abstract

The session is designed to help students and faculty better understand what it is like to be a Sociologist in a non-traditional, yet still very academic setting. This 20-minute roundtable will feature three RAND Sociologists, each with a different research portfolio. A very brief overview of the RAND Corporation will be followed by 5-minute presentation by the three researchers. Presenters will discuss what it is like to work for clients or sponsors, participate in multidisciplinary teams, mange project teams, engage in the quality assurance process in a non-traditional setting, and disseminate work to non-academic audiences such as policy makers.

Authors

• Sarah O. Meadows, RAND Corporation

• Esther M. Friedman, RAND Corporation

• Marek N. Posard, RAND Corporation