Research and Impact

Esra Gules-Guctas and colleagues demonstrate how algorithmic decision-making systems used in public benefits determinations can produce outcomes that fail to comply with legal requirements when statutory rules are improperly implemented in code, often due to flawed data, poor design choices, or inherent system limitations.

Victor St. John, Gregory Wilson, Long Tran, and Lydia Applin investigate how administrative burden in college admissions affects individuals with criminal records, with attention to racial disparities.

Caezilia Loibl examines that while U.S. military households have homeownership rates similar to civilians, younger post-Vietnam servicemembers accumulate less housing wealth, with financial stress and frequent relocations shaping their ability to build home equity.

Russell Hassan explores whether public service motivation (PSM) can help alleviate burnout among frontline public sector workers, who frequently encounter high job demands and conflicting roles that heighten burnout risks.

Trevor Brown and colleagues analyze global higher education contract management programs and suggest more balanced emphasis on technical, interpersonal and strategic competencies.

Author Caezilia Loibl and colleagues find that messaging focused on climate change and energy affordability increases public support for renewable energy policies, while energy independence appeals have more limited and audience-specific effects.

Shoshanah Inwood, Jill Clark and colleagues focus on the significance of social infrastructure for food system resilience by drawing on the insights and experiences from positions as emergency management practitioners and land-grant university social science food system researchers working with emergency management agencies, food system and food security organizations in this commentary. 

This study evaluates the impact of ICAT de-escalation training within the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department on officers’ attitudes and behavior. Findings from a stepped-wedge randomized controlled trial design show significant reductions in use of force and subjects injured following training, with no increase in officers injured, and highlight the importance of organizational support and training reinforcement in sustaining behavioral change.