The SHAPE Lab

The Systems, Housing, and Anti-violence Policy Evaluation (SHAPE) Lab, led by PI Dr. Kaitlyn M. Sims, conducts research on how individuals make choices under conditions of poverty, domestic violence, and instability, and evaluates the local, state, and federal policies that impact those choices. We are interested in broader correlates of household violence and public health disparities with implications for policy and practice. The lab's work has studied specific components of the social safety net such as emergency domestic violence shelters, the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), Section 8 vouchers, public insurance, and Housing First. 

Researchers, practitioners, and policymakers interested in learning more or partnering to conduct an evaluation can contact PI Sims directly via email.

The Team

Publications

Sims, K.M. (2025). Policymaking and pretrial fairness: Evaluating Illinois' ban on cash bail beyond Chicago. The Journal of Criminal Justice. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2025.102354

Blehm, C. and Sims, K.M. (2025) "When Feminism Becomes a Brand, Not a Practice: The Problem with Hollywood’s Male ‘Allies’." Ms. Magazine. https://msmagazine.com/2025/02/24/feminism-justin-baldoni-blake-lively-neil-gaiman/ 

Blehm, C. and Sims, K.M. (2025) ``How the Missy Woods Scandal Shatters Trust.'' The Denver Post, Sunday Print Edition. https://www.denverpost.com/2025/02/20/missy-woods-dna-rape-kit-scandal-survivors/ 

Research Assistantships

The lab is open to students from a variety of academic disciplines, including economics, public policy, criminology, sociology, and social work. As her work is interdisciplinary and multi-method, RAs may be hired for qualitative or quantitative dat analysis or background research. In addition, Dr. Sims is always in search of RAs with experience using Stata, GIS, and Qualtrics; who can code in R or Python; and/or have experience in database management, data cleaning, and data analysis. Interested students should email Dr. Sims directly to learn more about openings and opportunities. Limited research assistant funding is available. 

Individual RA projects vary and may include literature review, database management, data cleaning and verification, transcription, and survey distribution/management. RAs are supported in using lab data/resources to pursue independent projects, especially for purposes of completing graduation requirements such as capstones and theses.

© The SHAPE Lab 2025