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Robert Bozick

robert bozick, robert bozick
Associate Director, RAND Labor and Population
Santa Monica Office

Education

Ph.D. in sociology, Johns Hopkins University; M.A. in sociology, University of Maryland-College Park; B.A. in sociology, Ohio University

Overview

Robert Bozick is a senior sociologist at the RAND Corporation and the associate director of RAND Labor and Population. His research focuses on linkages between school and work across the life course, workforce development strategies and policies, immigration, and the transition to adulthood for disadvantaged populations. A core focus of his research is identifying the most effective policies and programs to improve employment outcomes for those facing economic and health challenges.

Bozick has 16 years of experience developing and testing survey instruments, analyzing survey data, and using longitudinal data to address public policy issues in education, population, and workforce development. Currently, he is leading the design, collection, and analysis of the California Socioeconomic Study, a three-year longitudinal survey of economically disadvantaged families in California receiving public benefits to understand their health and well-being. This survey is part of an evaluation of reforms in the state's welfare legislation for the California Department of Social Services, for which Bozick is the coprincipal investigator. Additionally, with support from the National Institutes of Health, Bozick is studying how childhood health conditions affect educational attainment and employment during the transition to adulthood (with Narayan Sastry) and how state immigration enforcement laws affect the health of undocumented immigrants (with Kate Strully). Lastly, he is leading a multi-method study of industry-designed sub-baccalaureate credentialing programs to prepare workers for jobs in the emerging energy sector in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia for the National Science Foundation.

Research Focus

Selected Publications

Bozick, Robert, Sinduja Srinivasan, and Michael Gottfried, "Do High School STEM Courses Prepare Non-College-Bound Youth for Jobs in the STEM Economy?" Education Economics (forthcoming)

Bozick, Robert, Trey Miller, and Matheu Kaneshiro, "Non-Citizen Mexican Youth in Higher Education: A Closer Look at the Relationship Between State Tuition Policies and College Enrollment," International Migration Review (forthcoming)

Bozick, Robert, Alessandro Malchiodi, and Trey Miller, "Pre-Migration School Quality, Time Spent in the United States, and the Math Achievement of Immigrant High School Students," Demography, 53(1477):1498, 2016

Bozick, Robert and Angela Estacion, "Do Student Loans Delay Marriage? Debt Repayment and Family Formation in Young Adulthood," Demographic Research, 30(1869):1891, 2014

Bozick, Robert and Trey Miller, "In-State College Tuition Policies for Undocumented Immigrants: Implications for High School Enrollment among Non-Citizen Mexican Youth," Population Research and Policy Review, 33:13-30, 2014

Bozick, Robert and Ben Dalton, "Balancing Career and Technical Education with Academic Coursework: The Consequences for Mathematics Achievement Over the Last Two Years of High School," Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 35:123-138, 2013

Bozick, Robert and Stefanie DeLuca, "The Decision Not to Go to College: School, Work, and Opportunities in the Lives of American Youth," Social Science Research, 4(1249):1262, 2011

Bozick, Robert, "Job Opportunities, Economic Resources, and the Postsecondary Destinations of American Youth," Demography, 46:493-512, 2009

Commentary

  • High school students taking a computer class

    Getting Technical: Preparing High School Students for the Workforce America Needs

    Fields such as computers, engineering, and health care are expected to grow. Employers and policymakers have a vested interest in ensuring that America's high schoolers are ready to meet future employment needs. Access to high-quality career and technical education programs is key.

    Aug 25, 2016 The Hill

  • Workers working in a factory

    Back to Work: Middle-Skill Jobs in the STEM Economy

    The STEM economy will grow by 17 percent through 2018, with expected job vacancies totaling 2.4 million. Middle-skill STEM jobs—such as computer support specialists, web developers, and engineering technicians—are in the highest demand.

    Aug 24, 2016 The RAND Blog

  • Job seekers wait to enter a job fair in downtown Denver, Colorado, March 13, 2014

    Labor Day Blog Series: American Worker

    To celebrate Labor Day, the American Worker series of commentaries offers research, reflections, and policy insights on a variety of topics that affect American workers.

    Aug 22, 2016 The RAND Blog

  • Two college students sitting outside using a laptop

    Should Undocumented Immigrant Youth Pay In-State Tuition to Attend College?

    Undocumented children are entitled to free primary and secondary public education everywhere in the United States, regardless of their legal status. But when they finish high school, their options for college vary depending on the state in which they live.

    Jul 28, 2015 The RAND Blog

  • Detainees sleep in a holding cell at a U.S. Customs and Border Protection processing facility, June 18, 2014

    With Child Migrants Set to Become Students, Educators Must Prepare

    Between 70,000 and 90,000 unaccompanied children are expected to cross the U.S.-Mexico border by year's end. Lost in an intensifying debate over U.S. immigration policy is the possibility that this wave will spill from shelters to schools. To best respond to this reality, policymakers and educators should consider what research says about educating migrant children.

    Jul 14, 2014 The RAND Blog

  • Man proposing to a surprised woman with a ring

    Are Youth Putting Off Marriage Because of Their Student Loan Debt?

    Women with higher loan balances may be less likely to get married than their peers with lower or no loan balances. But as time goes on, young adults adjust to their post-college financial situation and eventually get promotions, earn raises, obtain other assets, and get married.

    Jun 26, 2014 The RAND Blog

  • high school student looking at graph on blackboard

    The Limits of Career and Technical Education in Improving Math Achievement among High School Students

    Students who had taken occupationally focused career and technical education (CTE) courses in addition to their regular academic courses had similar learning gains to those who had only taken academic courses: an academic curriculum that includes CTE courses neither bolstered nor curtailed the acquisition of math skills.

    Jun 19, 2013 Policy Analysis for California Education

Publications