Kimberly’s master’s thesis examines how the language organizations use in their diversity statements can influence applicant perceptions and ultimately strengthen diversity applicant pools. Building off of Ely & Thomas (2001), three organizational perspectives, and Georgeac & Rattan's (2023) research on organizational diversity cases, this study introduces three different methods of framing diversity. Learning and Integration Perspective, Access and Legitimacy Perspective (Business Case), and the Discrimination and Fairness Perspective (Fairness Case). We are also interested in testing these statements’ effects in first-generation college students, a group that makes up nearly 40% of undergraduate students and represents a growing segment of the new workforce.

Krithika’s Master’s thesis examines how individuals transition from non-IT to IT occupations, focusing on the influence of gender, education level, and STEM background. Using large-scale workforce data, the research investigates who is most likely to enter IT careers and under what conditions. The project also analyzes broader trends such as age at transition, occupational tenure, salary changes, industry origins, and generational patterns to observe how IT has evolved over time.