
Summary
Dr. Rodney Knight is Deputy Director of Research of AidData's Policy and Analysis Unit. He leads a team of analysts who collect data and conduct research on public policy, development aid effectiveness, public diplomacy, energy security, and media freedom and resilience.
Education
Ph.D., Sociology, Brown University
M.A., Sociology, Brown University
B.S. (Honors), Mechanical Engineering, Brown University
Background
Dr. Knight’s research focuses on public policy, energy security, demographic change, health, nutrition, food security, and poverty. Prior to AidData, he served in a variety of positions, including Deputy Chief of Party for a large multi-country project that provided program monitoring, quantitative and qualitative data collection, and impact evaluation services for the Feed the Future food security initiative. Dr. Knight has worked for USAID, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Westat, and as a consultant providing technical services for a variety of foundations, donors, universities, and non-profit organizations in 18 countries. At the beginning of his career he worked as a software engineer on early neural network and GIS systems. Examples of journals he has published in include the New England Journal of Medicine, the Lancet, Bulletin of the World Health Organization, and Demography.
Expertise
Demographic Methods, Survey Methods, Impact Evaluation, Statistical Analysis, Energy Security, Health and Nutrition, Food Security, Poverty Measurement