Scholars from the Heldrich Center and partnering organizations will present new research findings at the Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management (APPAM) Fall Research Conference, to be held November 13–15, 2025, in Seattle, Washington. This year’s conference theme is “Forging Collaborations for Transformative and Resilient Policy Solutions.”
Among the presentations featuring Heldrich Center research are:
Administrative Burdens Tolerance and Public Opinion of SNAP: Can Simplified Communications Reduce Reliance on Personal Beliefs?
Dr. Andrea Hetling, Professor, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy & Associate Director, Heldrich Center
Thursday, November 13, 8:30 to 10:00 a.m. | Hyatt Regency Seattle, 6th Floor, Room: 608 – Wynochee
Dr. Andrea Hetling presents a paper co-authored by Dr. Gregory Porumbescu and Dr. Stephanie Walsh focused on how personal beliefs impact public opinion, and how better communication methods can help lessen reliance on those beliefs. The study examines how different public communication tools affect perceptions of the ease or difficulty of applying for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, and the reasons people give for their views.
Co-Production in Practice: Alignment of Participant and Staff Perspectives in Workforce Development
Dr. Stephanie Walsh, Assistant Director, Heldrich Center & Faculty Fellow, Bloustein School
Thursday, November 13, 10:15 to 11:45 a.m. | Hyatt Regency Seattle, 7th Floor, Room: 706 – Pilchuck
Dr. Stephanie Walsh presents a paper co-authored with Victoria Coty and Dr. Andrea Hetling that draws on data from the Health Professions Opportunity Grants program to explore how low-income participants view relational (staff interactions) and structural (program design) dimensions of healthcare training. The study uses sentiment and thematic analysis to better measure and explain participant experience, and to highlight the impact of participant-led design. Dr. Andrea Hetling also serves as the session chair, and Dr. Laura Peck will serve as the discussant in this session.
Patterns of Churn in New Jersey’s SNAP Caseload
Sophia Fox-Dichter, Graduate Research Assistant, Bloustein School
Friday, November 14, 8:30 to 10:00 a.m. | Grand Hyatt Seattle, 1st Floor/Lobby Level, Room: Princess 1
Sophia Fox-Dichter presents on how administrative processes affect churn and benefit retention in the New Jersey Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program. This paper is co-authored with Dr. Andrea Hetling and Kirsten Meidlinger. Researchers use longitudinal administrative data from 2024 to identify and compare episodes of churn, measured as a month interruption to benefit receipt, to “micro-churn,” defined as administrative lapses in program participation but without benefit loss. Dr. Laura Peck will serve as the discussant in this session.
Working from Home: Voices of the Family Child Care Workforce in New Jersey
Liana Lin, Research Project Manager, Heldrich Center
Friday, November 14, 10:15 to 11:45 a.m. | Hyatt Regency Seattle, 7th Floor, Room: 706 – Pilchuck
Liana Lin presents findings from a statewide survey and focus groups of registered family child care providers in New Jersey. This paper, co-authored by Dr. Andrea Hetling and Dr. Sharon Ryan, deepens understandings of the workforce dynamics, operational challenges, and policy needs of this segment of the child care workforce and identifies strategic policy interventions to support recruitment and retention in this sector.
Examining Long-Term Educational and Workforce Outcomes of Career and Technical Education Students
Dr. Khudodod Khudododov, Research Project Manager, Heldrich Center
Friday, November 14, 10:15 to 11:45 a.m. | Grand Hyatt Seattle, 1st Floor/Lobby Level, Room: Princess 2
Dr. Khudodod Khudododov presents findings from a collaboration between academic researchers, state education and workforce agencies, and industry partners to examine the long-term impacts of career and technical education programs on student outcomes. This paper was co-authored by Dr. Stephanie Walsh and Dr. Nathan Barrett, Dr. Charles McGrew, and Dr. Natsuko Nicholls, researchers at the Coleridge Initiative.
Time Poverty, Waiting, and Broadband Adoption: Evidence from the U.S.
Dr. Mattia Caldarulo, Assistant Professor, Rochester Institute of Technology
Friday, November 14, 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. | Hyatt Regency Seattle, 6th Floor, Room: 604 – Skykomish
Dr. Mattia Caldarulo presents a paper, co-authored by Dr. Gregory Porumbescu and Dr. Andrea Hetling, exploring the potential of expanding broadband adoption as a way of reducing “time poverty.” As broadband adoption may enable more efficient access to goods and services online, the paper tests the hypothesis that broadband adoption reduces waiting times. Researchers utilize a panel dataset that combines broadband adoption data with diary records from the American Time Use Survey to investigate the relationship, particularly among historically marginalized communities.
Trends and Penalties in New Jersey’s Teacher Workforce Landscape (Friday Poster Reception – Poster #143)
Dr. Ann Obadan, Research Project Manager, Heldrich Center
Friday, November 14, 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. | Hyatt Regency Seattle, 7th Floor, Room: 710 – Regency Ballroom
Dr. Ann Obadan presents a poster sharing results that examine trends and projections in New Jersey’s teacher workforce for the 2013–14 to 2023–24 school years. The paper explores the state teacher workforce by the number of teachers and subject area, exits and inflow into the teacher workforce, the extent to which teachers hold employment outside of the education industry, and the types of workforce experiences and earnings obtained through supplemental employment.
Enhancing the Use of Administrative Data Through Cross-Sector Collaboration for Evidence-Based Policymaking
Dr. Stephanie Walsh, Assistant Director, Heldrich Center & Faculty Fellow, Bloustein School
Saturday, November 15, 1:45 to 3:15 p.m. | Hyatt Regency Seattle, 7th Floor, Room: 709 – Stillaguamish
Dr. Stephanie Walsh participates in this roundtable discussion focused on leveraging state and federal administrative data. The session convenes experts from federal and state government agencies, academia, and the nonprofit sector to explore how integrated data systems can advance data-driven policymaking. The session will cover expanding opportunities to link administrative datasets across key domains such as workforce, education, and social services, with the goal of generating more comprehensive insights into program effectiveness and population needs, and advancing data-driven policymaking.
Data in Action: Real-World Case Studies and Partnerships Driving Policy Change
Dr. Ann Obadan, Research Project Manager, Heldrich Center
Saturday, November 15, 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. | Grand Hyatt Seattle, 1st Floor/Lobby Level, Room: Princess 1
This panel showcases three studies that use statewide longitudinal data systems to inform policy in workforce development, education, and reemployment. Each study provides evidence on strengthening the care economy, assessing the value of stackable credentials, and improving reemployment strategies using linked administrative data.
Dr. Ann Obadan will present her work on the care economy, co-authored with Maria Belén Conde Oviedo. This study utilizes restricted data from the New Jersey Statewide Data System, supplemented with public-use data, to propose a comprehensive framework for New Jersey to examine the size and characteristics of the paid formal care economy, identify potential disparities in employment outcomes, and highlight opportunities for upskilling.