I am a Ph.D. Candidate in Sociology at Columbia University. My dissertation research examines the effects of school district leadership and governance on student achievement and district policy outcomes.
One of my dissertation chapters examines variation in superintendent effects on student achievement. This research uses a longitudinal dataset I constructed on superintendent employment tenures in 26 states matched to student achievement data.
The subsequent chapters of my dissertation examine the role of partisanship in school district superintendent appointments, and the relationship between the political composition of school boards and likelihood of authorizing tax and bond funding elections. My dissertation is funded by a 2021 NAEd/Spencer Dissertation Fellowship.
In addition to my dissertation research, I am currently working on several co-authored projects that examine educational inequality in other settings. One project examines whether anti-Asian biases affect white parents’ school preferences. A second project examines how the college major decision process contributes to inequality in higher education outcomes for low-SES college students.
I also have an MA in Statistics from Columbia University, and an M.Phil. in Development Studies (International Development) from the University of Oxford. Before beginning my Ph.D., I worked in applied nonprofit and government research for organizations including the National Endowment for the Arts, Legal Services Corporation, the Digital Harbor Foundation, and Benenson Strategy Group.
Outside of work, I’m passionate about long-distance running, and ran my first NYC marathon in 2021. I’m also an appointed member of the Manhattan Democratic Party County Committee.
My CV is available for download here:
greermellon.com 