Areas of Expertise

Our expertise in equity and diversity education focuses on the foundations that lead to women’s advancement in the workforce, including the development and implementation of policy in education and workforce systems.  Our initiatives work with local, state, and national organizations through funded research projects, experiential learning opportunities for youth, technical assistance to schools, industries, and organizations, and collaborations with government and policy-makers.  Our work with secondary and postsecondary institutions ensures all learners access and success in high quality education and career programs, with professional development and institutional transformation models leading to greater equity outcomes.

Projects have included:

• Leadership, Equity, and Diversity Education (LEADE) initiative
• Advancing Equity in Career and Technical Education project (in partnership with Manhattan Strategy Group and US Department of Education)
• Advancing Career Pathways in Career and Technical Education project (in partnership with Manhattan Strategy Group and US Department of Education)
• A study of the impact of changes in High School Equivalency Tests on NJ GED seekers
• Analysis of faculty views of the university climate on equity and diversity
• Research on barriers to advancement for women in higher education

Our focus on women’s leadership and advancement addresses the needs professional working women by studying workplace culture and women’s leadership and conducting research. In addition to research on effective leadership development practices, we provide programs that develop women leaders in the public and private sectors, at every rung of the ladder from the classroom to the boardroom. 

Projects have included:

• Leadership Development for Early Career Women 
• Research on the career paths and barriers to advancement for women in the corporate C-suite
• Research on barriers to equity and diversity in the New Jersey Financial Services industry (in partnership with the NJ Gender Parity Council)

Our expertise on working families includes research and policy analysis of the structural barriers to women workers' full and equal participation in the workforce and to their ability to provide for and invest in the health and well-being of their families and communities. Our community engagement and technical assistance efforts focus on work with local, state and national policy makers and community-based, union, advocacy, and research organizations to inform discussions of public policies and programs that help build an economy that works for all women workers, their families, and their communities.

Projects have included:

• Research and public policy analysis of paid leave, earned sick days, wage theft, fair schedules, and equal pay in New Jersey;
• Analysis of National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY) to measure the economic effects of paid family leave on working families;
• In partnership with national Family Values at Work Consortium, provide technical assistance and community engagement on paid leave and earned sick days in New Jersey and to other states contemplating similar laws.
• As a member of the Working Poor Families Project, assess public policies that assist New Jersey's working poor adults in accessing education and job opportunities that lead to economic advancement and self-sufficiency.