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Ishara Casellas Connors

@isharacc.bsky.social
998 followers 555 following 51 posts

Afro-boricua 🇵🇷 Assistant Professor. Higher ed and public management research- HSIs, Afro-Latinx/é students, refugee students, and all things racial justice.

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Reposted by Ishara Casellas Connors
Jess Calarco @jessicacalarco.com · 12/04/2026
"The right’s characterization of higher education is a fiction. Students across the ideological spectrum feel free to express themselves, think their education is worth the cost and don’t think their views are silenced." Only 3% of Republican students feel out of place on campus for their views.
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Ishara Casellas Connors @isharacc.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
Been pretty quiet for a while, but here is my latest publication with colleague Amalia Daché "Un pirámide: United States Afro-Latin American cities, counties, and institutional discourse in Florida’s public higher education." www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.... Let me know if you need access!
tandfonline.com
Un pirámide: United States Afro-Latin American cities, counties, and institutional discourse in Florida’s public higher education
US Afro-Latin Americans (ALAs), individuals who identify as Hispanic-Black or are descendants of Africans who lived in Latin America or the Caribbean, represent upward of 6 million people, yet rese...
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Ishara Casellas Connors @isharacc.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
Very important and interesting report! www.propublica.org/article/dele...
propublica.org
Under Trump, More Than 1,000 Nonprofits Strip DEI Language From Tax Forms
As the Trump administration ordered agencies to eradicate “illegal” diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, we identified more than 1,000 nonprofits that removed such language from the mission statem...
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Ishara Casellas Connors @isharacc.bsky.social · 15/11/2025
What a great day presenting ongoing work on refugee access to post secondary education and the APPAM equity and inclusion lunch @appam.bsky.social
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Reposted by Ishara Casellas Connors
APPAM @appam.bsky.social · 17/10/2025
A big congratulations to this year's Equity & Inclusion Young Professional Fellows! Read more about this year's recipients before meeting them at #2025APPAM: ow.ly/zq0N50Xe4c5
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Ishara Casellas Connors @isharacc.bsky.social · 06/05/2025
Sharing findings from our ongoing research supported by @wtgrantfdn.bsky.social looking at refugees access to higher education at The Centre for Global Higher Education @ox.ac.uk www.researchcghe.org/events/navig...
researchcghe.org
Navigating Barriers, Building Futures: Policy, Persistence, and Postsecondary Access for Displaced Learners | Centre for Global Higher Education
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Ishara Casellas Connors @isharacc.bsky.social · 07/04/2025
Great start to #IRSPM2025 with the early career panels hearing about some important work related to race and diversity!
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Reposted by Ishara Casellas Connors
Austin Kocher, PhD @austinkocher.com · 25/03/2025
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said it is stopping review of green card applications for some refugees and asylees, leaving in limbo those who came to the U.S. after fleeing unrest. thehill.com/homenews/521...
thehill.com
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Ishara Casellas Connors @isharacc.bsky.social · 25/03/2025
More data to share on refugee and displaced persons experiences trying to access higher ed in the US. We need to share these stories of how folks activate and navigate. Free downloads! www.tandfonline.com/eprint/TPJV9...
tandfonline.com
Reframing Higher Education for Refugees: Pathways, Policies, and Community Cultural Wealth
Postsecondary education for refugees has gained traction, notably through the UN Refugee Agency’s “15 by 30” initiative aimed at achieving 15% refugee enrollment in postsecondary education by 2030....
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Reposted by Ishara Casellas Connors
National Education Policy Center @nepc.bsky.social · 20/03/2025
News outlets are reporting that Trump will sign an Exec Order tmrw/Thurs pushing for the Dept of Ed to be closed. The draft order apparently argues that even though the department has spent $1 trillion in federal education dollars over 46 years, the U.S. has not improved in education. [thread]
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Ishara Casellas Connors @isharacc.bsky.social · 11/03/2025
Don’t be fooled- it isn’t just Columbia. This is a huge blow to the University of Maine.
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Reposted by Ishara Casellas Connors
Liliana M. Garces @garceslm.bsky.social · 18/02/2025
Here, I explain how the February 14 "Dear Colleague" letter is a widely expansive distortion of the court’s ruling in SFFA. Institutional responses should remain focused on areas that the Supreme Court addressed and not expand to those clearly outside its purview. www.chronicle.com/article/hitt...
chronicle.com
Hitting Pause on the ‘Dear Colleague’ Letter
The Department of Education is overstepping its bounds and infringing on constitutional rights.
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Reposted by Ishara Casellas Connors
Robert Kelchen @robertkelchen.com · 13/02/2025
It's time to start a thread on higher ed budget cuts announced due to actual and potential cuts to federal funding. Northwestern is placing additional scrutiny on all spending and trying to cut non-personnel spending by 10% this year.
dailynorthwestern.com
University leadership announces 10% non-personnel spending reduction, other immediate measures in response to political and financial uncertainty
A slew of executive orders and directives from President Donald Trump that put higher education funding on shaky ground has led Northwestern leadership to announce several immediate measures in respon...
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Ishara Casellas Connors @isharacc.bsky.social · 15/02/2025
Despite the incredible challenges facing refugees and resettlement agencies I am forever grateful for what folks shared. We learned about how they build partnerships to foster the post secondary pathways so desired by displaced folks. Free for first 50 downloads. academic.oup.com/jrs/article-...
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Reposted by Ishara Casellas Connors
Jess Calarco @jessicacalarco.com · 11/02/2025
They're dismantling the Institute for Education Sciences to create the illusion of meritocracy. Because no data means no evidence of systemic inequities.
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Robert Kelchen @robertkelchen.com · 11/02/2025
Events in Washington are (rightfully) getting a lot of attention, but keep an eye on what is going on in states. There are a bunch of bills seeking to restrict campus activities and even tenure.
insidehighered.com
GOP state lawmakers again targeting DEI and tenure
Even before Trump’s return, Republican legislators in some states were rolling back diversity, equity and inclusion programs. The campaign continues in current legislative sessions.
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Reposted by Ishara Casellas Connors
Dominique Baker @bakerdphd.bsky.social · 10/02/2025
Gotta tell you, it's not just the WWC contracts (I assume it'll hit the papers this week)
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Reposted by Ishara Casellas Connors
Prof Dynarski @dynarski.bsky.social · 11/02/2025
www.politico.com/news/2025/02...
politico.com
Education Department slashes funding for research contracts, grants
About 170 contracts for the Institute of Education Sciences were targeted.
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Jess Calarco @jessicacalarco.com · 28/01/2025
How many moms won't be able to show up for work tomorrow because he cut off the funding for the Head Start programs they rely on for childcare?
CNN: 
Some Head Start programs are already unable to access the federal system they use to draw down their federal grant funding, which could force some to close their doors as early as Wednesday, Tommy Sheridan, deputy director of the National Head Start Association, told CNN Tuesday.

Head Start serves nearly 800,000 low-income children from birth to age five and their families.
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Angelo Villagomez @taotaotasi.bsky.social · 27/01/2025
The best anti-poverty program is a world class education Government should pick up more of the tab for education -- I don't even recall this being a major talking point in 2024 www.forbes.com/sites/edward...
forbes.com
Republican Proposal Would Make College Scholarships Taxable Income
Republican lawmakers are considering making college scholarships fully taxable to help pay for continuing tax cuts that mostly benefit wealthy families.
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Ishara Casellas Connors @isharacc.bsky.social · 10/01/2025
Excited to see this piece out. Building on other analysis, this work focuses on public institutions and how this might (we find that it isn’t) be connected to state political landscape.
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Ishara Casellas Connors @isharacc.bsky.social · 18/12/2024
You know it is almost winter break….the review requests keep rolling in!
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Ishara Casellas Connors @isharacc.bsky.social · 09/12/2024
Page proof time- Excited to see this out online soon!
Journal page proof website. Journal of Refugee Studies
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Beth Popp Berman @epopppp.bsky.social · 05/12/2024
I don't know if this is getting attention because ((waves arms)), but Michigan's Regents will consider defunding DEI tomorrow. Unlike the situation in Florida or Texas, this is under a board that is 6-2 Democrats.
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Raul Pacheco-Vega @raulpachecovega.bsky.social · 28/11/2024
I am writing a book chapter on qualitative methods in political science/public policy/public administration. If you have authored recent papers using QM in these three disciplines, please send them to me! I’d like to read and potentially cite. raul(.)pacheco(.)vega(@)flacso(.)mx
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Dominique Baker @bakerdphd.bsky.social · 26/11/2024
When people ask me why I don't care about my h-index, citations, etc., I point out that racism means that's a losing game. Cause this ain't just in economics. www.nber.org/papers/w33150
Screenshot of the article. Title: The Color of Ideas: Racial Dynamics and Citations in Economics. Authors: Marlene Koffi, Roland Pongou, and Leonard Wantchekon. NBER Working Paper No. 33150. Published November 2024. JEL No. A14, I23, J15. Abstract reads: This paper investigates the existence of racial disparities in the dissemination of ideas using the paper citation network in economics. Exploiting a comprehensive dataset of over 330,000 publications from 1950 to 2021, combined with manually collected data from the CVs of thousands of economists, we document that papers authored by non-White scholars (Black, Hispanic, or Asian) receive 5.1% to 9.6% fewer citations than those authored by White scholars. The citation gap remains or even amplifies with increasing author seniority and conventional quality indicators and is especially pronounced for Black authors. Moreover, papers authored by non-White scholars are less likely to serve as citation bridges and are less often cited by highly cited papers as measured by the centrality indexes, limiting both their direct and indirect influence. Our analysis indicates that this disparity is not attributable to differences in research quality, author ability, or visibility. Rather, it is largely driven by homophily in citation patterns and racial clusters in networks, where scholars tend to cite authors from their racial group. These findings can be rationalized by a simple theoretical model where citation costs and peer-review preferences influence citation behavior. Then, we provide suggestive evidence that reducing information friction—thereby lowering the cost of citing—could reduce the racial citation gap by up to 50%. Finally, using natural language processing, we highlight the complementarity across racial groups in research and discuss potential losses from racial barriers to idea diffusion.
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Ishara Casellas Connors @isharacc.bsky.social · 23/11/2024
That’s a wrap..#2024APPAM and #ASHE all in 5 days. Great to see folks, learn about some cool stuff, and share our work on eHSIs as well as refugees. Back to TX I go!
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Ishara Casellas Connors @isharacc.bsky.social · 23/11/2024
Early morning conference vibes
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Ishara Casellas Connors @isharacc.bsky.social · 22/11/2024
Come to #19 to here about how federal refugee policy and public higher eduction policy shape postsecondary education #2024APPAM
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Ishara Casellas Connors @isharacc.bsky.social · 22/11/2024
Kicking off #2024APPAM with a great session on refugee experiences.
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Ishara Casellas Connors @isharacc.bsky.social · 20/11/2024
#ASHE2024 join me and my amazing collaborators @doctordws.bsky.social, Mariana Rodriguez and Marissa Castillo for a discussion on emerging HSIs at 2:30 in Orchestra D
conference session information. November 20 2:30
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Jess Calarco @jessicacalarco.com · 19/11/2024
These high childcare costs are pushing mothers not only out of the workforce but also--and maybe ironically--into political conservatism. Because moms pushed out of paid work often struggle with loss of identity. And because conservative Christian moms' groups often step in to fill that void. 1/🧵
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Gabriel Rodríguez Lemus, Jr. @grodriguezlemus.bsky.social · 14/11/2024
Want to join of a community of Latinx/a/o Scholars broadly throughout academia? Please reply to this post if you want to be added!! Shout out to @larrylafountain.bsky.social for bringing us together! go.bsky.app/NrJs1Hr
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Ishara Casellas Connors @isharacc.bsky.social · 18/11/2024
Looking forward to seeing folks @appam.bsky.social
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Ishara Casellas Connors @isharacc.bsky.social · 18/11/2024
Kicking off a busy week- first stop #ASHE and then #APPAM.
media.tenor.com
a baby is sitting in a high chair in front of a television .
Alt: a baby is sitting in a high chair in front of a television .
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Reposted by Ishara Casellas Connors
Prof Dynarski @dynarski.bsky.social · 18/11/2024
Holy crap this is an astounding piece of historical research Will post ungated link later today unless someone beats me to it www.nber.org/system/files...
The G.I. Bill, Standardized Testing, and Socioeconomic Origins of the U.S. Educational Elite Over a Century
Ran Abramitzky, Jennifer K. Kowalski, Santiago Pérez, and Joseph Price
NBER Working Paper No. 33164
November 2024
JEL No. 123, 124, N32
ABSTRACT
We compile, transcribe, and standardize historical records for 2.5 million students at 65 elite (private and public) U.S. colleges. By combining these data with more recent survey and administrative data, we assemble the largest dataset on the socioeconomic backgrounds of students at American colleges spanning the last 100 years. We document the following: First, despite a large increase in the share of lower-income students in the overall college-going population, the representation of these students at elite private or public colleges has remained at similarly low levels throughout the last century. Second, the representation of upper-income students at elite colleges decreased after World War II, but this group has regained its high representation since the 1980s. Third, while there has been no increase in the economic diversity of elite private and public colleges, these colleges have become more racially and geographically diverse. Fourth, two major policy changes in the history of American higher education, namely the G.I. Bill after World War II and the introduction of standardized tests for admissions, had little success in increasing the representation of lower- and middle-income students at elite colleges.
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Christina Weiland @weilanch.bsky.social · 18/11/2024
Hadn’t seen a women in education policy research starter pack yet. Please let me know if I missed you… still getting my bearings in the new place. go.bsky.app/PixwBrM
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Ishara Casellas Connors @isharacc.bsky.social · 18/11/2024
Find some new and old friend!
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Haymarket Books @haymarketbooks.org · 09/11/2024
For the next two weeks, we’re offering ten free ebooks for getting free Another world is possible if we fight for it www.haymarketbooks.org/blogs/517-te...
Ten book covers: How We Get Free, Hope in the Dark, Freedom is a Constant Struggle, Palestine in a World on Fire, Let This Radicalize you, Socialism... Seriously, The Black Antifascist Tradition, Elite Capture, Class Struggle Unionism, and Unbuild Walls. More details at the included link.
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Ishara Casellas Connors @isharacc.bsky.social · 13/11/2024
Starting the day with a manuscript acceptance—more to come on how refugee resettlement supports higher education!
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Victor Ray @victorerikray.bsky.social · 12/11/2024
I am writing as fast as I can before critical race theory is outlawed again.
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Ishara Casellas Connors @isharacc.bsky.social · 25/01/2024
Getting into the post-break writing zone has been hard and these deadlines are coming fast!
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Ishara Casellas Connors @isharacc.bsky.social · 05/12/2023
Wrapping up teaching. Grateful for amazing students and a dean who visits on the last day of class.
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Ishara Casellas Connors @isharacc.bsky.social · 16/11/2023
Jumping into #ASHE2023 and excited to see friends old and new.
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OiYan Poon (she/her) @oiyanpoon.bsky.social · 16/11/2023
Really loving #ASHE2023 president Ana Martinez-Aleman’s talk is calling for the field of higher ed research to move out of “our front yard” to consider different views to reconsider our well-worn intellect frames and social constructs.
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Robert Kelchen @robertkelchen.com · 07/11/2023
It looks like the Wisconsin legislature is going to win its battle with UW System over $32 million in DEI funding. That money will now go toward workforce development.
insidehighered.com
Wisconsin universities strive to recoup withheld DEI funds
The Universities of Wisconsin, the system that oversees the state’s four-year public institutions, unveiled a proposal Monday that is designed to recoup $32 million that state legislators withheld ...
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Ishara Casellas Connors @isharacc.bsky.social · 07/11/2023
Crafting my skills of avoidance as I do ANYTHING but wrap up the copy edits on an R&R.
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Ishara Casellas Connors @isharacc.bsky.social · 07/11/2023
Ongoing work with our amazing collaborator considering refugee, asylee, and other displaced learners access to higher education. theconversation.com/higher-educa...
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Ishara Casellas Connors @isharacc.bsky.social · 27/10/2023
Next week I will have most of the day to enjoy working in a DC coffee shop. I'll be near Georgetown but looking for ideas on nice places to visit for an afternoon of work! Send me your recs....
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