Coursework: ITP Seminar

Dr. Camila Morales
UT-Dallas, Northwestern University

Abstract: U.S.laws make it illegal for employers to knowingly hire undocumented migrants.This legal constraint affect which firms will employ unauthorized workers andwhat jobs undocumented migrants can expect to get. As a result, unauthorizedmigrants are more likely to end up in jobs that have a lower risk of detectionof immigration status and are less desirable. The Deferred Action for ChildhoodArrivals (DACA) policy, which began in August 2012, gave temporary legalauthorization to work in the U.S. to a subset of undocumented migrants: thosewho arrived in the U.S. as children meeting certain other eligibility criteria.In this paper, we use a difference-in-differences strategy to estimate theeffect of DACA on the occupational outcomes of young adults who arrived in theU.S. as children. Applying this strategy to individual-level data from theAmerican Community Survey, we find that DACA eligibility decreases thelikelihood that noncitizen childhood immigrants hold traditional immigrant jobsor jobs with a high risk of injury, andincreases the likelihood of holding a government job or jobs that requireoccupational licensing. On the whole,DACA eligibility shifts noncitizen childhood immigrants to occupations that arehigher-paying and employ more educated workers. These findings are consistentwith legal barriers constraining undocumented childhood migrants from takingthe jobs they are interested in and have the skills for, and systematicallyshunting them to less-desirable jobs. 

Dr. Jamaal Matthews
University of Michigan

Abstract: TBA

Michael Asher
PhD student, Psychology, UW-Madison
 
Abstract: We tested the long-term effects ofa utility-value intervention administered in a gateway chemistry course, withthe goal of promoting persistence and diversity in STEM. In a randomizedcontrolled trial (N = 2,505), students wrote three essays about course contentand its personal relevance or three control essays. The intervention improvedSTEM persistence for all students (74% vs. 70% were STEM majors 2.5 yearslater). Effects were larger for students from underrepresented racial/ethnicminority groups, who were 14 percentage points more likely to persist in STEMfields in the intervention condition (69% vs. 55%). Mediation analysis suggeststhat the intervention promoted persistence for these students by bolsteringtheir motivation to attain a STEM degree. This theory-informed curricularintervention is a promising tool for educators committed to retaining studentsin STEM.

Martha Alibali
Professor, Psychology, UW-Madison

Professional Development - topic TBA

Dr. Lindsay Page
Brown University

Abstract: College success requires students to engage with their institution both academically and administratively. Missteps with required processes can threaten students’ ability to persist. We experimentally assessed the effectiveness of an artificially intelligent text-based chatbot to provide proactive outreach and support to college students to navigate administrative processes and use campus resources. In both the two-year and four-year college context, outreach was most effective when focused on administrative processes which were acute, time-sensitive, and for which outreach could be targeted to those for whom it was relevant. We draw lessons regarding the effective use of nudge-type efforts to support college success.

Christopher Saldaña
Asst Professor, Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis, UW-Madison

Abstract: TBA