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ipratnu.bsky.social
Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University
@ipratnu.bsky.social
220 followers 120 following 140 posts
The Institute for Policy Research is a nonpartisan, interdisciplinary social science research institute at Northwestern. We conduct research to improve lives. www.ipr@northwestern.edu
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ipratnu.bsky.social
Gathering with friends and family this week? Disagreements are normal. IPR’s @elijfinkel.bsky.social says they can even be healthy when handled with care. Click here to learn more about Finkel's work helping us lean into our disagreements: spr.ly/633257UqnU
November 26, 2025 at 3:27 PM
ipratnu.bsky.social
Okafor calls this social network discrimination, and his findings show that colorblind approaches alone don’t create equal opportunity. Policies and hiring practices must account for network-based barriers to achieve true fairness. Read the policy brief: www.ipr.northwestern.edu/documents/po...
November 24, 2025 at 5:04 PM
ipratnu.bsky.social
A study by @drchikaokafor.bsky.social shows that even when employers ignore race and workers have the same qualifications, racial gaps still appear through people’s social networks. Smaller minority groups often have fewer referral connections, resulting in fewer job opportunities and lower wages.
November 24, 2025 at 5:04 PM
ipratnu.bsky.social
After the Supreme Court ended race-conscious affirmative action in 2023, “colorblind” policies are being promoted as the fairest way to make decisions in schools and hiring.

But equal treatment on paper doesn’t always lead to equal opportunity.
November 24, 2025 at 5:04 PM
ipratnu.bsky.social
Interested in receiving information about policy-relevant research in your inbox? Sign up to get IPR's monthly newsletter with our latest stories. spr.ly/63325799vz
Graphic of capitol building with: Interested in receiving information about policy-relevant research in your inbox? Sign up to get IPR's monthly newsletter with our latest stories.
November 19, 2025 at 8:15 PM
ipratnu.bsky.social
Join us in Chambers Hall today at noon for a talk by Ivuoma Onyeador on "But What About My Free Speech?: Free-Speech Appeals Reduce Accountability for Workplace Bias." spr.ly/61857XNUN
IPR Colloq.: I. Onyeador (IPR/Kellogg) - But What About My Free Speech?: Free Speech Appeals Reduce Accountability for Workplace Bias Date: November 17, 2025 Start time/End Time: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Location: Chambers Hall, 600 Foster St, Ruan Conference Room, Evanston, IL 60208 Contact: Nicholas Benson, nicholas.benson@northwestern.edu Title: But What About My Free Speech?: Free Speech Appeals Reduce Accountability for Workplace Bias By Ivuoma Onyeador, Assistant Professor of Management & Organizations and IPR Fellow Abstract: Onyeador and her colleagues’ research examines how appeals to freedom of speech affect people’s evaluations of biased speech and their willingness to hold perpetrators of biased speech accountable. Results from four experimental studies reveal that defensive appeals to free speech (relative to alternate appeals or saying nothing) reduced evaluations of severity and willingness to hold perpetrators accountable in instances of both racism and sexism. This effect generally held across participant race, gender, and ideology, and even occurred when evaluating anti-racist speech, suggesting the effect is not exclusive to those with hierarchy-enhancing motivations. Information about a policy that mandated inclusion did not eliminate the effect, whereas a policy mandating free speech reduced accountability for bias, even in the absence of a free-speech appeal. Examination of the mechanism supports the authors' theorizing that these appeals work by activating concerns about free speech and by reducing the relative weight placed on concerns about bias. An intervention that shifted attention back to the consequences of bias offset the effects of the free-speech appeal. The authors’ findings illustrate the exculpatory effect of a free-speech appeal, even for explicitly racist and sexist speech. These findings advance understanding of how people navigate the tension between free-speech permissions and biased-speech prohibitions, which contributes to scholarship about how diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts get undermined. This event is part of the Fay Lomax Cook Fall 2025 Colloquium Series, where our researchers from around the University share their latest policy-relevant research. Please note all colloquia this quarter will be held in-person only.
November 17, 2025 at 4:41 PM
ipratnu.bsky.social
How do journalists turn research into stories that shape policy and public understanding? Join @medillschool.bsky.social and IPR experts Louise Kiernan, @natalieymoore.bsky.social, and Charles Whitaker for a discussion on bridging journalism and social science. spr.ly/633267O6lG
Photos of Charles Whitaker, Louise Kiernan, and Natalie Moore.
November 6, 2025 at 3:21 PM
ipratnu.bsky.social
A study by @nueconomics.bsky.social’s Molly Schnell and Max Pienkny, @sesp-nu.bsky.social's Hannes Schwandt, & Stanford’s Maya Rossin-Slater finds that after a fatal school shooting, youth prescriptions for depression and anxiety medications rose by over 25% and stayed elevated for up to 5.5 years.
Infographic showing that medication use spiked after students experienced a fatal school shooting.
November 4, 2025 at 5:22 PM
ipratnu.bsky.social
Since the Columbine shooting in 1999, more than 394,000 students have witnessed gun violence at school. These events have not only claimed the lives of children as young as 6 years old, but they have also left a lasting impact on the survivors.
A photo of a memorial from the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting on February 14, 2018.
November 4, 2025 at 5:22 PM
ipratnu.bsky.social
Join us in Chambers Hall today at noon for a talk by Tabitha Bonilla on "Anti-CRT or Anti-Me? The Results of Restrictive Education Policies" spr.ly/6185AFIuB
Date: October 20, 2025 Start time/End Time: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Location: Chambers Hall, 600 Foster St, Ruan Conference Room, Evanston, IL 60208 Contact: Nicholas Benson, nicholas.benson@northwestern.edu Title: Anti-CRT or Anti-Me? The Results of Restrictive Education Policies Abstract: Over the past five years, battles against inclusive teaching have been waged in every state. While not all proposed restrictions have been passed, these efforts have resulted in enacted bans in many states and districts across the country. While the restrictions are partisan in nature, there is significant geographic variation in restrictive policies within and across states, including states with consolidated party control. In this talk, Bonilla will describe how these policies affect teachers, students, and parents, with a specific focus on what this means for shifts in classroom learning. By Tabitha Bonilla, Associate Professor of Human Development and Social Policy and of Political Science (by courtesy)
October 20, 2025 at 3:11 PM
ipratnu.bsky.social
Join us in Chambers Hall on Monday at noon for a talk by Tabitha Bonilla on "Anti-CRT or Anti-Me? The Results of Restrictive Education Policies" spr.ly/63323AFIPh
IPR Colloq.: T. Bonilla (IPR/SESP) - Anti-CRT or Anti-Me? The Results of Restrictive Education Policies Date: October 20, 2025 Start time/End Time: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Location: Chambers Hall, 600 Foster St, Ruan Conference Room, Evanston, IL 60208
October 16, 2025 at 8:28 PM
ipratnu.bsky.social
Join us in Chambers Hall today at noon for a talk by Julia Behrman on "An Extended Family Approach to Income and Wealth Inequality in the U.S." spr.ly/6182AsqMI
IPR Colloq.: J. Behrman (IPR/Soc.) - An Extended Family Approach to Income and Wealth Inequality in the U.S. Date: October 13, 2025 Start time/End Time: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Location: Chambers Hall, 600 Foster St, Ruan Conference Room, Evanston, IL 60208
October 13, 2025 at 2:14 PM
ipratnu.bsky.social
SURA student Henry Park worked with IPR labor and education economist @kirabojackson.bsky.social to examine how Chicago Public Schools engage with Continuous Improvement Work Plans and how AI can add new insights to education research. spr.ly/63326At7Xw
Photo of Henry Park and quote: "My favorite part of this project, by far, was using AI tools...We tried a lot of methodologies, keeping records of all of our experiments, and eventually, we found a human-AI workflow that worked best for our project."
October 10, 2025 at 5:41 PM
ipratnu.bsky.social
Join us in Chambers Hall on Monday at noon for a talk by Julia Behrman on "An Extended Family Approach to Income and Wealth Inequality in the U.S." spr.ly/63323AsqML
IPR Colloq.: J. Behrman (IPR/Soc.) - An Extended Family Approach to Income and Wealth Inequality in the U.S. Date: October 13, 2025 Start time/End Time: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Location: Chambers Hall, 600 Foster St, Ruan Conference Room, Evanston, IL 60208
October 9, 2025 at 6:40 PM
ipratnu.bsky.social
IPR events bring together researchers, policymakers, students, and community members to examine and discuss today’s most pressing social issues. Join us at one (or all!) of our events this fall! 🍂 spr.ly/63329AlEMN
Schedule of IPR events
October 3, 2025 at 9:02 PM
ipratnu.bsky.social
This month’s new research examines how racial bias shaped dining patterns in COVID, how people make decisions about asking for help with basic needs, how computational tools can improve conservation, and how universal pre-K can boost economic growth. spr.ly/63323Ad5j3
Street in Chinatown
October 2, 2025 at 4:07 PM
ipratnu.bsky.social
IPR's SURA program empowers undergraduates to turn their passions into purpose. Through mentorship and hands-on research, students like Annika Shah and Stacy Yoon are making real contributions to policy and social justice. Read more: spr.ly/63329Ad5VS
IPR’s 2025 summer undergraduate research assistants pause for a photo during their training session, with program director Christine Percheski (far right).
October 1, 2025 at 3:47 PM
ipratnu.bsky.social
IPR welcomed three new fellows this fall who are investigating power and opportunity in American life—from mass incarceration and political communication to clean energy and fair hiring. Click here to read more: spr.ly/63328Ad53y
IPR's new fellows (left to right): Chika Okafor, Elizabeth Thom, and Alexander Coppock
September 29, 2025 at 3:00 PM
ipratnu.bsky.social
SURA student Christina Vargas worked with IPR health psychologist Edith Chen to investigate the impact of social environments on health and wellbeing. Read more about her summer experience: spr.ly/63320AdKqu
Graphic of Christina Vargas and a quote from her that says: I was excited to join a lab at Northwestern that conducts research relevant to the global context and our current society. The lab’s research is crucial as we navigate a world with increasing inequalities and negative health outcomes.
September 26, 2025 at 4:24 PM
ipratnu.bsky.social
A new study by IPR's Greg Miller and his colleagues finds that children with high blood pressure at age 7 face a sharply increased risk of dying from heart disease by their mid-50s. Read more in @usnews.com: www.usnews.com/news/health-...
September 22, 2025 at 9:20 PM
ipratnu.bsky.social
IPR events bring together researchers, policymakers, students, and community members to examine and discuss today’s most pressing social issues. Join us at one (or all!) of our events this fall! 🍂 spr.ly/63323AVzyb
Schedule of IPR events
September 19, 2025 at 7:24 PM
ipratnu.bsky.social
Do U.S. elections have a primary problem?

@polisciatnu.bsky.social's Laurel Harbridge-Yong explains how low voter turnout in primaries gives more power to a small group of voters, which can skew representation. Read more: spr.ly/63327AKpFD
Voting stickers
September 10, 2025 at 4:11 PM
ipratnu.bsky.social
IPR faculty are tackling urgent challenges—from wage theft and water insecurity to sentencing reform and gun violence. In statehouses, courtrooms, city halls, and beyond, our experts ensure evidence guides policy decisions.

Read more: www.ipr.northwestern.edu/news/2025/bo...
August 27, 2025 at 8:00 PM
ipratnu.bsky.social
Brief screen time isn’t likely to harm young children’s attention development, IPR psychologist Sandra Waxman told
the Evanston RoundTable. The concern is when screens become their primary way of engaging with the world. evanstonroundtable.com/2025/08/20/h...
August 22, 2025 at 8:00 PM
ipratnu.bsky.social
Why does Northwestern research matter to you? At IPR, we see how research drives better policy and improves lives. Whether you're a student, faculty member, staff, alum, or community member—we want to hear your perspective. Share your #ResearchMatters story: spr.ly/6010fzl5K
July 28, 2025 at 3:09 PM