Rakas pioneered methods and models for analyzing the impact of navigational equipment outages on airspace performance and has also conducted pioneering work in the area of controller-pilot communications. Her contributions to the research area of airport operations and planning are also significant, where she is best known for using high-fidelity data to create new arrival headway distributions. She is the author or co-author of more than 100 publications that include archival journals, conference papers, and technical reports and has participated in over 200 high-level presentations and worldwide discussions through conferences, symposia, workshops, panels, talks, or conference session chairmanships.