Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University
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ipratnu.bsky.social
Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University
@ipratnu.bsky.social
The Institute for Policy Research is a nonpartisan, interdisciplinary social science research institute at Northwestern. We conduct research to improve lives. [email protected]
Join us in Chambers Hall today at noon for a talk by Steven Franconeri on "Point Taken: A Gamified Intervention That Creates Enlightened Disagreements." spr.ly/63329CYvqW
January 5, 2026 at 3:17 PM
Happy New Year from IPR faculty, staff, and students!
January 1, 2026 at 3:00 PM
#1: AI quickly evolved from a futuristic concept to a daily reality. To better understand AI and the changes coming with it, we spoke to our faculty experts about how they’re studying AI, what they’re learning, and what’s ahead. Read more: spr.ly/63328CEmL8
December 29, 2025 at 3:00 PM
#2: Why are Black women more likely to have C-sections than White women? IPR economist Molly Schnell spoke to IPR about her research examining this disparity and possible ways to reduce unnecessary C-sections and the complications that can come with them. Read more: spr.ly/6180FaDu2
December 26, 2025 at 3:00 PM
#3: American teenagers are not all right.

Growing rates of anxiety, depression, and suicides point to an alarming trend. IPR spoke with four of its experts on teen mental health about what their research says about why teens are suffering and how we can help them. spr.ly/6186L9O5y
December 24, 2025 at 3:00 PM
#4: During a lecture on April 2, Nobel Prize-winning physicist and former U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu outlined the urgent steps needed to achieve net-zero global greenhouse gas emissions and avoid climate change’s major consequences. spr.ly/63321CEmRX
December 23, 2025 at 3:00 PM
#5: Thousands of L.A. fast food workers are victims of wage theft, losing more than $44 million in combined wages per year. A report by @djgalvin.bsky.social and Jake Barnes points to educating workers about their rights as a solution. www.ipr.northwestern.edu/news/2025/wa...
December 19, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Join us in Chambers Hall on January 5 for a talk by Steven Franconeri on "Point Taken: A Gamified Intervention for More Enlightened Policy Disagreements." spr.ly/63325CESsS
December 17, 2025 at 8:00 PM
#7: In May, @jhu.edu sociologist @stefanie-deluca.bsky.social returned to Northwestern as IPR's first visiting scholar, sharing her latest research and insights into communicating research findings to policymakers. www.ipr.northwestern.edu/news/2025/ho...
December 15, 2025 at 3:00 PM
#8: Political violence is on the rise in the U.S. @polisciatnu.bsky.sociall's Laurel Harbridge-Yong spoke to IPR about how elected officials say threats & violence have changed the way they approach their jobs & how the public thinks about political violence. www.ipr.northwestern.edu/news/2025/th...
December 12, 2025 at 7:17 PM
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
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
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
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
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
November 19, 2025 at 8:15 PM
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
November 17, 2025 at 4:41 PM
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
November 6, 2025 at 3:21 PM
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.
November 4, 2025 at 5:22 PM
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.
November 4, 2025 at 5:22 PM
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
October 20, 2025 at 3:11 PM
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
October 16, 2025 at 8:28 PM
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
October 13, 2025 at 2:14 PM
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
October 10, 2025 at 5:41 PM
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
October 9, 2025 at 6:40 PM
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
October 3, 2025 at 9:02 PM