Paul D. Hood is WestEd's Director of Institutional Planning. He performs environmental scanning and analyses of educational, demographic, social, economic, political, and technological trends that affect WestEd or its clients. He maintains a variety of databases and collections of information, selectively disseminates news and other information to the WestEd Board and staff members, and responds to requests for information or assistance. He promotes strategic thinking, knowledge transfer, and organizational learning among staff. He assists staff in proposal preparation and program planning, and performs analyses, syntheses, and special studies.

Hood joined WestEd in 1966, when it was Far West Laboratory (FWL), serving first as Chief Program Director, responsible for the direction of a series of FWL programs and projects including production of two television series on educational R&D; design, development, and evaluation of multi-media information units and R&D utilization training programs; development and testing of school-based organizational arrangements for instructional planning, evaluation, and management; design and management of the Far West DD&E Training Consortium; design and management of an Experience-Based Career Education Model; design, conduct, and analysis of a comprehensive, nationwide survey of information needs and uses in the field of education; and conduct of policy research studies and knowledge syntheses on R&D use. As Director of the Educational Dissemination Studies Program, he directed studies and evaluations of dissemination support systems and change strategy and technology, and analysis and documentation of federally sponsored dissemination projects. He also served as Director of Planning and Evaluation for the Western Regional Educational Laboratory.

Prior to his work with WestEd, Hood directed a number of research and development programs for the U.S. Airforce, the U.S. Army, The Ohio State University Personnel Research Board, and the George Washington University Human Resources Research Office.

Hood holds a BA in psychology and philosophy from Franklin College and an MA and a PhD in social psychology from Ohio State University.