Davis holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Physics from M.I.T., where he worked on vibrational relaxation under Irwin Oppenheim, and a B.S. from the University of Michigan.
Career
After working in physical science research at the Institute for Defense Analyses, Davis joined the Department of Defense where he was concerned with both strategy and program analysis. He was a Senior Executive. He is a Senior Principal Researcher at RAND and a Professor of Policy Analysis at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. Davis is known for work in strategic planning methods such as exploratory analysis under uncertainty and capabilities-based planning, and also for modeling. His modeling has included social-behavioral modeling and applications such as using qualitative causal models rooted in social science to understand motivations for terrorism and public support of terrorism. Dr. Davis has also been active in professional organizations and international research groups, as well as to numerous national panels such as a national-academy study on prompt conventional global strike.
"Analysis to Inform Defense Planning Despite Austerity." Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corp. 2014..
."'Uncertainty-sensitive heterogeneous information fusion: assessing threat with soft, uncertain, and conflicting evidence"." Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corp., 2016..
. "Dilemmas of Intervention: Social Science for Stabilization and Reconstruction." Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corp. 2011..
. "Social Science for Counterterrorism: Putting the Pieces Together." Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corp. 2009.. Held in 199 libraries, according to
. "Portfolio-Analysis Methods for Assessing Capability Options." Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corp, 2008. Held at 447 libraries in 7 editions, according to
. "Implications of Modern Decision Science for Military Decision Support Systems." Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corp, 2005.. Held at 260 libraries in 5 editions, according to
" Deterrence & Influence in Counterterrorism A Component in the War onAl Qaeda." Santa Monica, CA: Rand, 2002. Held at 721 libraries in 5 editions, according to
. "New Challenges in Defense Planning: Rethinking How Much Is Enough." Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corp. 1994.. Held in 254 libraries, according to
Policy papers
Analytic architecture for capabilities-based planning, mission-system analysis, and transformation. Santa Monica, CA: Rand, 2002.. Held at 158 libraries in 3 editions, according to
"Adaptiveness in defense: the basis of a new framework." Santa Monica, CA: RAND, 1996.OCLC Number 36019859. Held at 23 libraries according to
