All HDSP PhD Students

Cowhy, Jennifer
Degrees
- AM, Social Service Administration, University of Chicago, 2013
- MPP, University of Chicago, 2013
- BA, Sociology, University of Michigan, 2010
Research Interests
Jennifer Cowhy is interested in researching how schools can better serve students who have experienced adverse childhood experiences ad students with IEPs. Prior to studying at Northwestern, Jen worked at the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research, where she studied the implementation of several policy and program implementations in Chicago Public Schools.

Devakonda, Varun
Degrees
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BA, Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2018
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MS, Education, Johns Hopkins University, 2020
Research Interests
I am interested in topics related to educational neuroscience; more specifically, exploring how neuroscience can be applied within academic contexts to improve instructional practices, school policies, and educational outcomes within underserved communities.
Ekwuruke, Fortunate Kelechi
Degrees
- MS in Education, Culture and Society, Graduate School of Education at University of Pennsylvania, 2020
- MS in Nonprofit Leadership, School of Social Policy and Practice at University of Pennsylvania, 2020
- BA in Secondary Education: English, Brooklyn College, 2018
Research Interests
My research explores the challenges that housing insecurity and homelessness have on young people, particularly as it relates to their education and social and emotional development. It also looks at the ways that social policies and programs interact with young people who experience these conditions and ways that these interactions can be improved to best support them.

Guarino, Nicole
Degrees
- EdM, International Education Policy, Harvard Graduate School of Education, 2013
- BA, Mathematics and English, University of Iowa, 2007
Research Interests
Transition from high school to postsecondary education; college access and success; identity development; quantitative methods; casual methods

Kamel, Ayah
Degrees
- MS, Adolescent Special Education, Hunter College, 2013
- BA, Political Science and Global Studies, Concordia College, 2011
Research Interests
I am interested in the long-term impacts of education policy reform efforts on students' educational achievement and attitudes toward education. I am also interested in the ways in which students and families understand their role in the education policy-making process., I am interested in how we define and measure school quality and in how those definitions and measurements of school quality impact what happens inside of schools.

Kanika, Dhanda
Degrees
- Ed.M., Human Development and Social Policy, Harvard Graduate School of Education, 2018
- BA.LLB., ILS Law College Pune, 2012
Research Interests
I am interested in the implementation of education policies in school systems by stakeholders who play a leadership role, school and district leaders as well as players in the private sector like curriculum providers and non-profit leaders. I am using institutional analysis as an overarching framework in my current work. I am exploring questions related to social justice leadership and social capital generation as they intersect with school leaders' personal identities and their (mis)match with the student demographics.

Research Interests
I am interested in exploring the institutional mechanisms and practices that foster adult identity development and influence education and work trajectories during the transition to adulthood, with a focus on juvenile justice and community college systems.
Rebecca Lawrence
Degrees
- B.A. Health Behavior and Society, B.A. Brain & Cognitive Sciences (University of Rochester)
Research Interests
I'm interested in studying the impact of systemic racism, inter-generational poverty, and educational disparities on the psychological health f racially/ethnically diverse youth and ways that policy makers can promote culturally relevant and accessible mental health and academic supports for students of color.

Research Interests
Inequality and stratification, race and ethnicity, gender, migration, welfare policy, knowledge production, mixed methods
Love, Shanequewa
shanequelove2027@u.northwestern.edu
Degrees
- BA, African American Studies, Loyola Marymount University, 2021
Research Interests
My research interest consist of residential policies and its effect on the behavioral and educational outcomes of foster youth.

Mackevicius, Claire
cmackevicius@u.northwestern.edu
Degrees
- BA, Economics, University of Chicago, 2014
Research Interests
Critical Quantitative Methods // K-12 Education Finance // Mixed Methods // Resource (Re)distribution Policy
Muskin, Melanie
melaniemuskin@u.northwestern.edu
Degrees
- MA in Organization and Leadership, Teachers College at Columbia University
- BA in Cognitive Science, Vassar College
Ouellet, Leah
leahouellet@u.northwestern.edu
Degrees
- BA from the Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan
- MS from the Department of Criminal Justice at Wayne State University
Research Interests
I study human development and punishment in the context of carceral policy and practice.
Packis, Eleni
elenipackis2028@u.northwestern.edu
Degrees
- B.S. Economics and Public Policy Analysis, The Ohio State University (2018)
Research Interests
K-12 education policy; social inequity; economics of education

Swen, Carolyn
Degrees
- MA, International Relations, University of Chicago, 2009
- MA, Public Policy, University of Chicago, 2009
- BA, Politics, Princeton University
- MA, Human Development and Social Policy, Northwestern University, 2016
Research Interests
Intersection of vocational psychology and sociology of work, sense of calling in the work role, meaning, purpose, vocation, narrative identity, cultural discourses about work and motivation, work orientation, adult development, generativity, pro-social work, educational leadership, artists, gig economy, precarious work.
Turner, Julia
juliaturner@u.northwestern.edu
Degrees
- BA, Economics and English, Amherst College, 2019

Yang, Beiming
Degrees
- MS, Policy Economics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2016
- BA, Economics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2014
Research Interests
Adolescent social, emotional, academic, and neurocognitive development; age discrimination; cross-cultral comparison; parental influence on adolescent development
Chen-Wei Yu
Degrees
- BA, English, National Taiwan Normal University
- MS, Psychology, National Taiwan University
Research Interests
Emotion and motivation; self- and emotion regulation; interpersonal relationships; well-being; goal pursuit; culture; health