I am a PhD candidate in the Department of Sociology at the University of California San Diego and a collective impact fellow with the Center for Research and Evaluation at UCSD Extension. My primary research interests include immigrant integration, higher education, immigration policy, local contexts of reception, and ethnic return migration.
For my dissertation, I am examining how universities serve as contexts of reception for international students who seek to remain in the United States after graduation. The goal of my research is to understand how universities prepare international students – socially, culturally, professionally – as they adjust to life as new immigrants. I will be gaining perspectives from university officials, faculty, and staff to understand how they see international student services as fitting into their broader portfo
Prior to coming to UCSD, I worked as a research associate on the Immigration and the States project at the Pew Charitable Trusts in Washington, DC. In this role, I conducted research on the various ways states and localities decide and implement policies with respect to their immigrant populations. I wrote analyses related to state naturalization programs, driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants, and the responsibility localities have in providing services to unaccompanied minors. I also previously wo