Vanessa Parks

Vanessa Parks is a Behavioral/Social Scientist and Professor of Policy Analysis at the RAND School of Public Policy, RAND. She is a sociologist whose work bridges public policy, disaster resilience, and public health, with a strong focus on the Southern United States, particularly the Gulf Coast and Mississippi Delta regions.

Her research interests include:

• Natural Hazards and Climate Resilience
• Public Health Preparedness and Emergency Response
• Social Determinants of Health
• Community Resilience and Social Capital
• Behavioral Health After Disasters
• Military and Veteran Caregiving
• Climate Migration and Relocation

Her recent publications reflect a consistent focus on long-term disaster impacts, mental health, housing, and policy tools. She frequently analyzes data from multimodal surveys and contributes to the development of practical tools like the Incident Management Measurement Toolkit. Her work often centers on vulnerable populations, including older adults, veterans, and Gulf Coast residents affected by environmental disasters.

Notable scientific contributions include longitudinal studies on the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, evaluations of AI research hub potential in Jackson, Mississippi, and assessments of caregiving in military families. She has not received explicitly mentioned awards in the provided text.

She advises no named students in the provided material but collaborates extensively with government and foundation partners. Her research is supported through RAND’s institutional and project-based funding. She leads or contributes to major research initiatives and tool development efforts, particularly in public health emergency management and community resilience.

She has developed or contributed to key resources such as the STRONG survey codebook, the Oil Spill and Public Health database, and policy recommendations for improving caregiver support systems.