RISEI Lab at Northwestern University

Research and Innovation for Social and Economic Inclusion
Northwestern University · School of Education & Social Policy · Est. 2021

Rigorous, data-driven research at the intersection of technology, workforce, education, and social policy — partnering with government agencies, nonprofits, and international organizations to advance inclusion for marginalized populations.

Visit riseilab.org → Dedicated lab site for sponsors & partners

$50M+
Lifetime funding
$4M+
Active support
170+
Countries
6+
Projects

New Working Paper · April 2026

AI Exposure Scores Are Unstable

3.6× divergence ± sign flips

Every major forecast about which jobs AI will eliminate comes from asking AI to rate itself. We found the answer depends entirely on which AI you ask.

Paper & Brief → Adaptive Precision
Figure 3: E1 exposure across 95 occupations - up to 77 point spreads between AI models

Featured Project · $4.29M

Virginia EPIC: Real Pay for Real Jobs

$4.29M funding 2022–28

Eliminating subminimum wage for workers with disabilities through education, outreach, and policy guidance across Virginia.

Project Details → Policy Brief Dashboard
SUBMINIMUM WAGE EMPLOYMENT TRENDS 2018 2021 2024 Subminimum wage Competitive employment

Featured Project · $2.98M

Maine Pathways to Partnerships

$2.98M funding 2023–28

Collaborative models improving transition services and competitive integrated employment for children and youth with disabilities.

Project Details → VR Economic Impact
MULTI-AGENCY PARTNERSHIP MODEL YOUTH Vocational Rehab Special Education Community Partners Employer Network Integrated transition services across agencies

Global Impact · 170+ Countries

Special Olympics Global Evaluation

6 countries 170+ reach

Worldwide evaluation of unified sports and inclusive programming on social inclusion and community attitudes.

Inclusion Study HS Completion Stronger Together
SOCIAL INCLUSION IMPACT BY COUNTRY USA India Kenya Serbia Brazil Attitude improvement among participants (%)

IES Innovation Grant

NAEP Process Data & Accessibility

IES funded NAEP data

How do accessibility features in digital assessments affect math performance for students with disabilities?

Project Details → Publication One Size Brief
ACCESSIBILITY FEATURE UTILIZATION 85% features available Text-to-speech Zoom/Magnify Color contrast Distribution of accessibility features used in NAEP assessments

Publications & Policy Briefs

Research for Policy Change

14+ publications $50M+ impact

Policy briefs on subminimum wage, vocational rehabilitation, racial disparities, and economic inclusion.

All Publications → Hidden Market Uneven Playing Field Racial Disparities
PUBLICATION PORTFOLIO Hidden Market Disability employment gap analysis & policy Uneven Playing Field Systemic barriers in workforce participation Racial Disparities in VR Equity analysis of rehab service delivery Economic Imperative ROI of vocational rehabilitation programs Lead or Fall Behind Competitive employment policy recommendations Something EPIC Virginia's progress eliminating submin. wage Selected policy briefs and research publications

Mission

Drive transformative change through cutting-edge research, innovative policy recommendations, and comprehensive training and educational services.

Vision

A future where every individual, regardless of social or economic background, has the opportunity to thrive through evidence-based programs.

Focus

Rigorous evaluation of programs and policies combined with AI-driven innovation — advancing competitive integrated employment and social inclusion.

Our Team

Dr. Michelle Yin, RISEI Lab Director at Northwestern University

Michelle Yin, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator & Director

Education Economics · Disability Economics · Higher Education

Senior Advisors

David Figlio, Senior Advisor, University of Rochester

David Figlio

Senior Advisor

Gordon Fyfe Professor of Economics & Education, U. of Rochester. Former Dean of SESP at Northwestern. National Academy of Education member.

PhD Economics, U. of Wisconsin-Madison

John Pepper, Senior Advisor, University of Virginia

John Pepper

Senior Advisor

Bankard Professor of Economics, U. of Virginia. Research on social program evaluation, econometrics, and vocational rehabilitation.

PhD Economics, U. of Wisconsin-Madison

Steven Stern, Senior Advisor, Stony Brook University

Steven Stern

Senior Advisor

Professor of Economics, Stony Brook University. Research on disability, aging, and labor economics with structural modeling.

Lead Economists & Postdoctoral Researchers

Diego Guerrero, Lead Economist at RISEI Lab

Diego Guerrero

Lead Economist

Public Economics · Labor Economics

Applied microeconomist evaluating federal policies including the EITC and intergenerational mobility. Collaborator with the Inter-American Development Bank.

PhD Economics, U. of Tennessee

Regina Seo, Lead Economist at RISEI Lab

Regina Seo

Lead Economist

Health Economics · Equity

Care economy, female labor force participation, and structural determinants of health inequality. Previously at Brookings Institution and the World Bank.

PhD American U. · MA Georgetown

Hoa Vu, Lead Economist at RISEI Lab

Hoa Vu

Lead Economist

Applied Microeconomics · Health

Leverages policy changes as natural experiments. Research on employment after subminimum wage abolition and structural racism's impact on maternal health.

Hussain Hadah, Lead Economist at RISEI Lab

Hussain Hadah

Lead Economist

Labor · Education · Health

Discrimination in education and labor markets, identity formation, and peer effects in adolescent mental health. IZA Research Affiliate. J-PAL grant recipient.

PhD U. of Houston · BS Arizona State

Kathryn R. Johnson, Postdoctoral Researcher at RISEI Lab

Kathryn R. Johnson

Postdoctoral Researcher

Economics · Policy Evaluation

Postdoctoral researcher contributing to RISEI's disability employment and education policy evaluation projects. NBER affiliate.

Cristhian Molina, Incoming Postdoc at RISEI Lab

Cristhian Molina

Incoming Postdoc

Labor · Education · Causal Inference

Applied microeconomist studying how policy reforms affect educational access and labor market outcomes. Research on strategic behavior and regulation.

PhD Economics, UIUC (2026)

Research Staff & Graduate Assistants

Alie Goldblatt, Research Associate at RISEI Lab

Alie Goldblatt

Research Associate

Megan Morrell, Research Coordinator at RISEI Lab

Megan Ashley Morrell

Research Coordinator

Nancy Gorman, Graduate Assistant at RISEI Lab

Nancy Gorman

Graduate Assistant

Yi Li, Graduate Assistant at RISEI Lab

Yi Li

Graduate Assistant

Affiliates

Dr. Juliette Berg, RISEI Affiliate

Juliette Berg, Ph.D.

Dr. Christina LiCalsi, RISEI Affiliate

Christina LiCalsi, Ph.D.

Claudia Persico, RISEI Affiliate

Claudia Persico

Lauri Luosta, RISEI Affiliate

Lauri Luosta

Gizem Toska, RISEI Affiliate

Gizem Toska

Alumni

Kristina Kokoneci, RISEI Alumni

Kristina Kokoneci

Tom Li, RISEI Alumni

Tom Li

Yuchen Song, RISEI Alumni

Yuchen Song

Catherine Xie, RISEI Alumni

Catherine (Jiake) Xie

Active Research Projects

NEW: AI Occupational Exposure & Measurement

New · April 2026 · Working Paper + Policy Brief

AI exposure scores vary 3.6-fold across models. The Adaptive Precision Framework proposes continuous recalibration of education, hiring, and workforce policy.

Read Paper & Brief →

Virginia EPIC: Real Pay for Real Jobs

$4.29M · U.S. Dept. of Education · 2022–2028

Eliminating subminimum wage for workers with disabilities through education, outreach, and capacity building.

Project Details →

Maine Pathways to Partnerships

$2.98M · Federal Model Project · 2023–2028

Collaborative models improving transition services and competitive integrated employment for youth with disabilities.

Project Details →

NAEP Process Data Innovation Grant

Institute of Education Sciences

How accessibility features in digital assessments affect math performance for students with disabilities.

Project Details →

Special Olympics Global Study

Special Olympics International · 170+ Countries

Worldwide evaluation of unified sports and inclusive programming on social inclusion and community attitudes.

Course Taking Patterns in STEM

Research Initiative

High school coursework patterns and postsecondary outcomes for underserved students with disabilities.

RISEI Working Paper Series

Ongoing

Research on disability employment, social inclusion, and education policy.

View Publications →

Partners & Collaborators

Government

  • U.S. Department of Labor
  • U.S. Department of Education
  • State education & workforce agencies

International

  • Special Olympics International
  • Chinese University of Hong Kong
  • Inter-American Development Bank

Nonprofit

  • Disability advocacy organizations
  • Workforce development nonprofits
  • Education & social services

Academic

  • Northwestern University
  • U.S. & international universities
  • Research centers & labs

Contact & Join Us

We welcome prospective students, postdocs, and collaborators in special education research, implementation science, and educational equity.

risei@northwestern.edu 847-491-7377 633 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208
Get in Touch RISEI Lab