Texting Students Towards College Success
Foreword
At TDL, our role is to translate science. This article is part of a series on cutting-edge research that has the potential to create positive social impact. While the research is inherently specific, we believe that the insights gleaned from each piece in this series are relevant to behavioral science practitioners in many different fields. As a socially conscious applied research firm, we are always looking for ways to translate science into impact. If you would like to chat with us about a potential collaboration, feel free to contact us.
Introduction
Behavioral science insights can profoundly impact education outcomes — from improving curriculums to making more effective teachers. As a socially-conscious applied research firm, TDL is interested in using empathy, technology, and design-thinking to promote better outcomes in many aspects of society, from health to education to the economic empowerment of disadvantaged groups. To amplify these impacts even further, we reach out to experts currently conducting research in areas that engage behavioral science in the pursuit of socially conscious goals.
In this spirit, we reached out to Dr. Ryan Yeung to understand how his work at in education policy harnesses behavioral science to improve society.
Ryan Yeung is currently the Replication Evaluation Specialist in the Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP) unit at the City University of New York (CUNY). He has previously taught at Hunter College, SUNY-Brockport, and Rutgers University-Camden. He has a Ph.D. in Public Administration and Policy from Syracuse University. His main research interests are in education policy and public budgeting, and finance.
For this project, Ryan and his co-author evaluated a program to increase enrolment and success in college through texting.
A full version of his project is available here:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15391523.2019.1683105
About the Authors
Ryan Yeung
Ryan Yeung is currently the Replication Evaluation Specialist in the Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP) unit at the City University of New York (CUNY). He has previously taught at Hunter College, SUNY-Brockport, and Rutgers University-Camden. He has a Ph.D. in Public Administration and Policy from Syracuse University. His main research interests are in education policy and public budgeting, and finance.
Nathan Collett
Nathan Collett studies decision-making and philosophy at McGill University. Experiences that inform his interdisciplinary mindset include a fellowship in the Research Group on Constitutional Studies, research at the Montreal Neurological Institute, a Harvard University architecture program, a fascination with modern physics, and several years as a technical director, program coordinator, and counselor at a youth-run summer camp on Gabriola Island. An upcoming academic project will focus on the political and philosophical consequences of emerging findings in behavioral science. He grew up in British Columbia, spending roughly equal time reading and exploring the outdoors, which ensured a lasting appreciation for nature. He prioritizes creativity, inclusion, sustainability, and integrity in all of his work.
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