Dr. Lauren Schudde

Biography

Lauren Schudde is an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy at the University of Texas at Austin. Her research focuses on ameliorating social inequities in United States higher education policy, particularly for low-income families. Most college students attend broad-access institutions, and her work prioritizes policies related to community colleges and regional public universities. Schudde's ongoing projects examine dual enrollment pathways between high schools and community colleges, and the responses of community college students to state and institutional transfer policies. Furthermore, she investigates the impact of developmental education reforms on student outcomes, employing both quantitative and qualitative research methods. Her research leverages state administrative data to address pressing policy questions and has been funded by organizations such as the National Science Foundation, Institute of Education Sciences, Spencer Foundation, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Greater Texas Foundation. Schudde obtained her Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has previously served as a postdoctoral fellow at the Community College Research Center at Teachers College, Columbia University. Her work has been published in prominent journals including Sociology of Education, Journal of Human Resources, and the American Educational Research Journal. Additionally, she serves as the editor-in-chief of Research in Higher Education and holds a courtesy faculty appointment in the Department of Sociology at the University of Texas at Austin.

Research Interests