July 15, 2025
Doctoral candidates from top U.S. universities presented their in-progress dissertation research during the Upjohn Institute’s 2025 Dissertation Grantee Conference, held Friday, July 11, in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
The daylong event spotlighted the work of the 2024 cohort of Dissertation Research Grant recipients, whose projects explore employment-related issues, with particular attention to challenges faced by Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) communities. Each grantee received up to $10,000 to support their dissertation work through the Institute’s grant program, operated in partnership with the Russell Sage Foundation.
“This new generation brings fresh ideas and insight into the critical issues facing workers and communities,” said Aaron Sojourner, senior economist at the Upjohn Institute. “Their work will help shape public policy for decades to come.”
Upjohn Institute economists and invited experts served as discussants for each presentation, providing constructive feedback as the scholars prepare for careers in academia and policy research.
“This conference gives young scholars meaningful feedback and a chance to test their ideas in a serious policy setting,” said Will Jones, professor of history at the University of Minnesota and a conference discussant. “It’s not just a presentation—it’s a conversation that shapes better research and better researchers.”
Invited Presenters and Projects
- Adrian Haws, Cornell University
Can Immigrants Transfer Their Skills? Evidence from Linked International Census Data
Discussant: Yuci Chen, Upjohn Institute - Tom Lindman, University of Washington, Seattle
Paid Family Leave and Parent Wellbeing: Evidence from Administrative Data and Insurance Claims
Discussant: Gabrielle Pepin, Upjohn Institute - Clara Mejia Orta, Yale University
La Planta: Latinx Worker Survival in U.S. Slaughterhouses
Discussant: Aaron Sojourner, Upjohn Institute - Katharine Sadowski, Cornell University
The Evolution of the Early Childcare Market: Historic Trends and the Effect of Minimum Wage Changes on Access to Quality Care
Discussant: Brad Hershbein, Upjohn Institute - Jiaming Soh, University of Michigan
Estimating the Long-Run Impact of Government Spending on Small Businesses and Minority Entrepreneurs in the United States
Discussant: Tim Bartik, Upjohn Institute - Chas Walker, Boston University
The Union’s Inspiration: Black Workers, AFSCME, and the Public Sector Upsurge of the 1960s
Discussant: Will Jones, University of Minnesota