Ep 181: Dr. Julie Park on Researching Race, Diversity, and Equity in Higher Education

Research in Action | A podcast for faculty & higher education professionals on research design, methods, productivity & more

On this episode, Katie is joined by Dr. Julie J. Park, an Associate Professor of Education at the University of Maryland, College Park. Her research addresses how race, religion, and social class affect diversity and equity in higher education, including the diverse experiences of Asian American college students. Her new book Race on Campus: Debunking Myths with Data (Harvard Education Press) uses social science data to challenge misconceptions surrounding race in college admissions and campus climate. She is also the author of When Diversity Drops: Race, Religion, and Affirmative Action in Higher Education (Rutgers University Press), an examination of how bans on affirmative action affect everyday student life. Currently an associate editor for the Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, her work has appeared in venues such as the Washington Post, Huffington Post, and the Chronicle of Higher Education. She recently served as a consulting expert on the side of Harvard in the case Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. Harvard.

Segment 1: Race on Campus [00:00-12:42]

In this first segment, Julie discusses her book Race on Campus.

In this segment, the following resources are mentioned:

• Julie's book Race on Campus
• Julie's book When Diversity Drops: Race, Religion, and Affirmative Action in Higher Education
• Thomas J. Espenshade and Alexandria Walton Radford. (2009). No Longer Separate, Not Yet Equal: Race and Class in Elite College Admission and Campus Life. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Segment 2: Myths in Race on Campus [12:43-23:50]

In segment two, Julie shares about some of the myths she discusses in her book.

In this segment, the following resources are mentioned:

• Julie's book Race on Campus
• Mismatch by Richard Sander
• Julie's book When Diversity Drops: Race, Religion, and Affirmative Action in Higher Education

Segment 3: Writing Op-Eds [23:51-36:11]

In segment three, Julie shares about her experiences writing op-ed pieces.

In this segment, the following resources are mentioned:

• The Op-Ed Project
• Julie's work at The Huffington Post
• Julie's Washington Post piece:
  • Park, J.J. (2015, January 4). The misleading lawsuit accusing Harvard of bias against Asian Americans. The Washington Post.

To share feedback about this podcast episode, ask questions that could be featured in a future episode, or to share research-related resources, contact the “Research in Action” podcast:

Twitter: @RIA_podcast or #RIA_podcast Email: [e-mail] Voicemail: 541-737-1111

If you listen to the podcast via iTunes, please consider leaving us a review.

The views expressed by guests on the Research in Action podcast do not necessarily represent the views of Oregon State University Ecampus or Oregon State University.