JuneMi Jennifer Kang
Ph.D. in Public Policy · Lead Impact & Evaluation Researcher, Harvard Strategic Data Project Fellow
Center for Education Policy Research, Harvard University
Magpie Literacy
About
I am a quantitative policy researcher who studies how education and social policies shape economic mobility and systemic equity. Using quasi-experimental designs, meta-analysis, and mixed-methods evaluation, I isolate the causal effects of programs and institutions on outcomes for historically underrepresented populations. My dissertation at Georgia Tech and Georgia State University integrated regression discontinuity, systematic review, and institutional-level analysis to evaluate equity and access in higher education.
I bring this rigor to practice as Lead Impact & Evaluation Researcher and Strategic Data Project Fellow at Harvard’s Center for Education Policy Research, where I apply causal inference to evaluate literacy interventions at scale. Previously, I spent four years as Senior Research Associate at the Korea Development Institute (KDI), authoring OECD joint research and regulatory reform policy papers adopted by national government councils. That experience taught me to translate micro-econometric evidence into narratives policymakers can act on.
As a scholar-teacher, I believe rigorous analysis and accessible teaching are inseparable. I received the Excellence in Teaching Policy Award (2023) and a 5.0/5.0 instructor rating for redesigning Critical Policy Issues as Instructor of Record at Georgia State. Whether in a seminar room, a government briefing, or a peer-reviewed manuscript, my goal is the same: equip others with evidence they can use to expand opportunity.
- Causal Inference
- Education Policy
- Economic Mobility
- Equity & Access
- Human Capital
- Resource Equity
- Program Evaluation
PhD in Public Policy, 2025
Georgia Institute of Technology & Georgia State University
Master of Public Policy, 2016
KDI School of Public Policy and Management
B.A. with Honors in Economics & International Relations, 2014
Rhodes College
Research & Publications
My research examines whether public interventions achieve their goals for underrepresented populations. I organize my work into three streams—education and mobility, human capital geography, and resource equity at the subnational level—reflecting a common commitment to causal identification and policy relevance.
Stream 1: Education Policy & Economic Mobility
Dissertation: Evaluating Equity and Access in Higher Education
Regression Discontinuity, Meta-Analysis, and Institutional-Level Analysis
Georgia Institute of Technology & Georgia State University, 2025. Committee: Ross Rubenstein (Chair), Tim Sass, Terri Pigott, Andrew Heiss, Juan Rogers.
A multi-method dissertation evaluating the causal impacts of higher education policies on student success, combining regression discontinuity designs, systematic meta-analysis, and institutional-level analysis to assess equity in college access and completion.
Bridging the Gap: Evaluating the Impact of Summer Success Academy Bridge Program on College Success
Kang, J. J., & Rubenstein, R. (2026). Innovative Higher Education, April 2026.
Uses regression discontinuity to estimate the causal effect of a summer bridge program on college success outcomes for at-risk students at a large urban university.
A Meta-Analysis of University Summer Bridge Program Effectiveness on At-Risk Students
Kang, J. J., Rubenstein, R., & Pigott, T. Manuscript in submission. Target: Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis.
Synthesizes evidence across summer bridge program evaluations to estimate pooled treatment effects and examine sources of heterogeneity in program effectiveness.
Institutional Social Capital and Higher Education
Dissertation Chapter 3 — targeting Research in Higher Education
Examines how institutional characteristics and financial resource allocations interact to shape economic connectedness, social cohesion, and civic engagement, using Raj Chetty’s Social Capital Atlas merged with IPEDS data.
Stream 2: Interstate Human Capital & STEM
Does Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Empower the Under-Represented? Interstate Mobility of Human Capital in the United States
Kang, J. J., Melkers, J., Sagramsingh, R., Zou, H., & Li, H. Manuscript in submission. Target: Population Research and Policy Review.
Examines whether STEM education pathways enable interstate mobility of human capital among economically disadvantaged and underrepresented populations.
Interstate In-Migration Patterns of Economically Disadvantaged Young Adults, 2012–2019
Zou, H., Kang, J. J., Sagramsingh, R., Li, H., & Melkers, J. Manuscript in submission. Target: Ethnic and Racial Studies.
Analyzes geographic mobility patterns among economically disadvantaged young adults to understand how interstate migration shapes human capital accumulation and opportunity.
Stream 3: Resource Equity & Subnational Governance
Equity vs. Excellence in Crisis: Emergency Aid Allocation and Innovation Outcomes in Nonprofits and Social Enterprises
Kang, J. J., Ha, Y., & Graddy-Reed, A. Working paper. Target: Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly.
Investigates how emergency aid is allocated across nonprofits and social enterprises during crisis, and whether allocation patterns advance equity or excellence in innovation outcomes.
Consumer Choices in Social Impact: Evaluating the Drivers of Satisfaction and Loyalty in Social Entrepreneurship
Kang, J. J. Working paper. Target: Journal of Policy Analysis and Management.
Models consumer satisfaction and loyalty in social enterprises to understand what drives public engagement with mission-driven organizations. First Place, APPAM Fall Conference Poster Session (2024).
Ticket to Opportunity: How Incentives Shape Access and Equity in Public Transit for Under-Represented Riders in King County
Heiss, A., & Kang, J. J. Working paper. Target: Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives.
Evaluates how fare incentives and transit policy shape access and equity for low-income and underrepresented riders, using quasi-experimental methods applied to King County Metro data.
Other Publications
Crossing the Chasm of Country of Origin Effects for the Newly Emerging Country
Kang, J. J., & Cho, Y. C. (2018). Journal of Marketing Thought, February 2018.
A Comparative Study of ODA Strategies of South Korea and China—A Case of Knowledge Sharing Program (KSP)
Choi, C., & Kang, J. J. (2015). KDI School of Public Policy & Management Paper, No. 15-11. doi:10.2139/ssrn.2707591
Policy & Public Impact
Before pursuing my doctorate, I spent four years as a Senior Research Associate at the Korea Development Institute (KDI), where I translated complex regulatory and innovation policy questions into evidence-based recommendations for senior government officials. I coordinated joint research with the OECD, presented Korea’s regulatory reform achievements at international forums, and authored policy papers adopted by national research councils. This work taught me to communicate micro-econometric trends and institutional analysis as clear, actionable narratives—skills I now bring to both my academic research and my current role evaluating education interventions at Harvard’s Center for Education Policy Research.
Policy and Government Reports
OECD & Korea Development Institute (2021). Case Studies on the Regulatory Challenges Raised by Innovation and the Regulatory Responses. OECD Publishing, Paris. doi:10.1787/8fa190b5-en
Co-author
Kim, J., Chun, S., Kang, J. J., & Nam, J. (2019). Policy Paper on the Strategic Approach to Regional Development through Regional Regulatory Sandbox. Korea Development Institute.
Co-author
Kang, J. J. (2018). Regulatory Reform Policy and Behavioral Insights in Developed Countries—A Case of Australia. Korea Development Institute.
Author
Lee, S., Lee, H., & Kang, J. J. (2017). ICT Convergence and the Protection and Utilization of Personal Information. ICT Convergence and Institutional Improvement, National Research Council for Economics, Humanities and Social Sciences.
Co-author
OECD & Korea Development Institute (2017). Improving Regulatory Governance: Trends, Practices and the Way Forward. OECD Publishing, Paris. doi:10.1787/9789264280366-en
Editor-in-Chief, Joint Research
OECD & Korean Government (2017). Regulatory Policy in Korea: Towards Better Regulation. OECD Reviews of Regulatory Reform, OECD Publishing, Paris. doi:10.1787/9789264274600-en
Contributor
Teaching & Mentorship
I teach policy the way I conduct research: with precision, empathy, and respect for students as future public servants. As Instructor of Record for PMAP 3311: Critical Policy Issues, I redesigned a writing-intensive course from the ground up so that 40 undergraduates could engage critically with live policy debates while building analytical and communication skills.
Featured Course
PMAP 3311: Critical Policy Issues (CTW) — Georgia State University, Fall 2022
Instructor of Record · Undergraduate · Writing-intensive (CTW)
Introduced foundations of public policy to upper-level undergraduates. I redesigned the course to emphasize empathetic engagement, clear writing, and evidence-based policy analysis.
Awards & Recognition
- Excellence in Teaching Policy Award (2023) — Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University
- Instructor rating: 5.0 / 5.0 with over 50% student participation
- Guest Lecturer, Cost-Benefit Analysis — KDI School of Public Policy and Management, Spring 2019
- Teaching Assistant, Quantitative Methods & Introduction to Research Methods — KDI School, 2016
I integrate undergraduates into my research pipeline—training them on real administrative data, causal designs, and policy brief writing rather than routine data entry.
CV & Contact
Download my full curriculum vitae or reach out directly. I welcome inquiries about research collaborations, speaking engagements, and academic opportunities.
Contact
Email: [email protected]