Research Team Alumni

Emma Bausch

Emma Bausch is a Ph.D. candidate in Higher Education at the University of Michigan. Her dissertation uses the theories of mental and relational accounting to consider prospective student families review financial aid offers and conceptualize paying for college. She is also a Senior Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admission at Northwestern University.

Reuben Kapp

Reuben Kapp is a doctoral candidate in the Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education. His research interests include college access, enrollment management, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Reuben is committed to expanding college access for first-generation, low-income, and students of color, in addition to helping students navigate the challenges of a rapidly changing higher education landscape. He also has an extensive background in public policy and politics, and served as a Public Policy Fellow on the Hill and in the U.S. State Department. 

Heeyun Kim

Heeyun Kim is an Assistant Professor of Higher Education at the University of Houston. She earned her PhD in Public Policy in Higher Education from the University of Michigan. Prior to her current role, she worked in several institutions, including the Institutional Research Office at Rackham Graduate School, the Higher Education Policy Research Institute, and the Section for Higher Education at UNESCO headquarters.

Her research interests primarily focus on college admissions and graduate education, with a particular emphasis on understanding how policies shape the outcomes of various stakeholders. She employs advanced quantitative methods to assess student experiences over time and evaluate the impact of higher education policies and practices. Her work aims to draw causal inferences that provide deeper insights into the effects of these policies.

Joy Richardson

Joy Richardson graduated with a master’s in Higher Education (concentration in Public Policy) from the University of Michigan. Afterward, she completed a Fulbright Grant in South Korea, and now works as a Study Abroad Advisor for the Center for Global and Intercultural Study. Her research interests center on fortifying the P-20 education pipeline, improving college accessibility in rural, first-generation, and minoritized racial groups, and increasing Black representation in international education programs.