Research Interests
Organizations and Management
Educational Policy
Post-Secondary Education and Training
Social Inequality
Anti-Poverty Policy and Implementation
Transitions to Adulthood
How do organizations reproduce or counter social inequality?
My research investigates how marginalized young adults experience social policy and programs as they seek opportunities for social mobility.
I study the ways in which nonprofits reproduce or counter existing social inequalities as they intervene to make public policies and programs accessible for marginalized populations. I have a particular focus on the ways in which policy complexity negatively affects those who experience poverty and/or institutional racism. Specifically, I study how youth-serving organizations mediate the transition to adulthood and the extent to which organizations reproduce or counter existing social inequalities. I have studied student experiences of alternative schools, teacher stressors and supports in under-resourced schools, poverty interventions, homelessness, and college success programs that offer coaching interventions. My rigorous community-engaged research agenda builds on 15 years of practice experience in teaching and advising with the goals of building more equitable and stable transitions to school and work for young people.