Dr. Yogananda Pittman, who serves as Chief of UC Berkeley Police after serving as U.S. Chief of Capitol Police in 2021, completed her doctoral degree in 2023 with a dissertation that explores the obstacles encountered by women, particularly women of color, in high-ranking law enforcement roles nationwide. Her research, which bridged law enforcement and academia, received support in its final steps from UC Berkeley’s Research IT Consulting Teamt. This collaboration serves as a great example of the team’s strength in providing guidance for research data, regardless of discipline.
Pittman’s research, conducted as part of her PhD program at Westchester University, delves into a critical yet under-explored area of public administration and law enforcement. Her work aims to shed light on the barriers and challenges that women encounter as they ascend to leadership positions in police departments nationwide. The study, which involved in-depth interviews with ten senior law enforcement chiefs from across the country, employed the Grounded Theory method. This approach allowed Dr. Pittman to identify emerging themes across participant’s lived experiences and create policy recommendations aimed at improving access and support for women in the law enforcement profession.
Scarlet Sands-Bliss, a Research Data Domain Consultant with UC Berkeley’s Research IT, provided substantial support for Dr. Pittman’s work. She holds a Master of Science degree in Epidemiology from the School of Public Health, and currently also works for Tracking California—a program of the Public Health Institute that focuses on environmental health surveillance and the health impacts of climate change across the state.
"Dr. Pittman’s experience in law enforcement and her degree in public administration were unfamiliar territories for me," Sands-Bliss recalls. "However, I had a background in qualitative research, particularly from my work in public health, so I could support her in analyzing the interview data and presenting the results effectively."
In mid-2023, Sands-Bliss was introduced to Dr. Pittman through a consult request, separate from her role as Chief of UC Berkeley Police. After the initial consult,, Sands-Bliss continued working with Dr. Pittman, providing both general qualitative consulting support and technical help with using analysis tools, like Dedoose. “The original consulting ticket was just the start of it,” Sands-Bliss recalls. “We enjoyed working together and learning from one another so much. I owe it to Research IT for being flexible and supporting me pursuing my interest in mixed-methods work!”
Dr. Pittman’s study benefited from Sands-Bliss’s knowledge of qualitative research methods, particularly in interview-based research. Despite coming from a different field, Sands-Bliss’s experience with mixed-methods and qualitative analysis allowed her to provide crucial support in the final stages of Dr. Pittman’s dissertation. The collaboration between Dr. Pittman and Sands-Bliss exemplifies the flexibility and adaptability of Research IT at UC Berkeley. "One of the coolest things about Research IT is how we can take a simple consult and turn it into longer-term support," Sands-Bliss notes. "Even a small amount of expertise in a niche field can be applied to PhD work in methods, and this experience highlighted the power of working across different disciplines."
Dr. Pittman successfully completed her dissertation and earned her PhD in December 2023. Her research has the potential to influence policy and practice in law enforcement agencies across the country. By identifying barriers and proposing solutions, her work may pave the way for better representation in police leadership and more effective law enforcement institutions.
“‘Data’ is a term so often only thought of in the numerical sense,” concludes Sands-Bliss. “Research IT supports students, staff, and faculty with their research data across the entirety of Berkeley’s campus, and that includes text, audio, video, and more! The joy of being on this team is that every consult lets you learn something new.”
Congratulations, (Doctor) Chief Pittman!