Shelly Culbertson

Shelly Culbertson is a Senior Policy Researcher at the RAND Corporation and Professor of Policy Analysis at the RAND School of Public Policy. She specializes in disaster recovery, migration policy, refugee crises, education systems, and Middle Eastern geopolitics. Her work includes leading recovery plans for the U.S. Virgin Islands (FEMA-sponsored), Puerto Rico, and post-ISIS Mosul. She co-led a spatial vision project for the West Bank and Gaza, emphasizing phased reconstruction and camp management.

Education: M.P.A. in Public Policy and International Development from Princeton University's School for Public and International Affairs. Her research spans global education initiatives (e.g., Louisiana's reforms, Appalachia workforce programs) and international development in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and Qatar.

Leadership Roles: Former Associate Director of RAND's Disaster Management Program, Director of the Infrastructure, Immigration & Security Operations Program. Advised governments on education systems, refugee policies, and stabilization strategies. Authored The Fires of Spring: A Post Arab Spring Journey Through the Turbulent New Middle East (2016).

Media Engagement: Regular contributor to Foreign Policy, Foreign Affairs, and outlets like MSNBC, NPR, and BBC. Focuses on Gaza recovery, Syrian refugee returns, and U.S. immigration challenges.