I'm a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania and will be joining the University of Arkansas' College of Education & Health Professions as Assistant Professor of Higher Education in August 2025. I hold a PhD in Economics & Education from Columbia University and use causal inference to explore issues in education with a focus on higher education finance and policy, community colleges, workforce development, and teacher labor markets. My research and writing, which include academic papers, policy briefs, opinion articles, and book reviews, have been published in the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, Teachers College Record, Journal of Higher Education, Community College Review, Higher Ed Dive, Inside Higher Ed, and the Urban Institute's Learning Curve series, among other outlets.
Email: jspar@upenn.edu
