Job Market paper
Is affirmative Action the Answer? Shrinking the STEM Gender Gap in Higher Education
Abstract: This paper analyze a gender-based affirmative action policy implemented in 2020 for STEM programs at Uganda's largest public university. Pushing more women in STEM majors by relaxing the admission criterion may lead to a potential mismatch. Improved gender balance, on the other hand, can generate positive peer effects for the entire cohort, especially women. Linking different administrative datasets on student's applications, admissions and college academic performance, we empirically assess the effects of the policy induced changes in gender composition, on students' higher education outcomes. We first establish that the policy successfully increased women's access to STEM majors, resulting in a 9-percentage-point rise in female enrollment in traditionally male-dominated fields. We document that women (men) entering treated majors after the policy have, on average, lower (higher) high school test scores than their counterparts in untreated majors. Despite this, the policy led to improved college GPA and reduced the likelihood of failing courses in the first year for both men and women in the treated majors. Even among the top high school applicants whose admission status were not affected by the policy, we find that both men and women in treated majors experienced significant GPA improvements. Women's GPA rose by 8%, compared to a 4% increase for men. Our results suggest that increased gender diversity, brought by the policy, had positive spillover effects beyond its direct impact on enrollment.
Abstract: This paper analyze a gender-based affirmative action policy implemented in 2020 for STEM programs at Uganda's largest public university. Pushing more women in STEM majors by relaxing the admission criterion may lead to a potential mismatch. Improved gender balance, on the other hand, can generate positive peer effects for the entire cohort, especially women. Linking different administrative datasets on student's applications, admissions and college academic performance, we empirically assess the effects of the policy induced changes in gender composition, on students' higher education outcomes. We first establish that the policy successfully increased women's access to STEM majors, resulting in a 9-percentage-point rise in female enrollment in traditionally male-dominated fields. We document that women (men) entering treated majors after the policy have, on average, lower (higher) high school test scores than their counterparts in untreated majors. Despite this, the policy led to improved college GPA and reduced the likelihood of failing courses in the first year for both men and women in the treated majors. Even among the top high school applicants whose admission status were not affected by the policy, we find that both men and women in treated majors experienced significant GPA improvements. Women's GPA rose by 8%, compared to a 4% increase for men. Our results suggest that increased gender diversity, brought by the policy, had positive spillover effects beyond its direct impact on enrollment.
Work In Progress
Gendered Preferences, Affirmative Action and Choice of Major: Evidence from Uganda (with Isaac Ahimbisibwe)
Abstract: We examine how affirmative action policies influence students' choice of academic fields in higher education. While existing literature attributes 50-70% of STEM gender gaps to systematic differences in preferences between men and women, we investigate whether affirmative action can reshape these choices. Using application data from Ugandan public universities, we analyze how students strategically adjust their major rankings in response to changed admission probabilities under affirmative action. Our preliminary findings reveal that both men and women modify their program choices in response to the policy, resulting in a reduction of gender gaps in STEM applications.
The Impact of COVID-19 on Educational Outcomes for Marginalized Students Across Agricultural Majors (with Kristin Kiesel & Sean Kiely)
Abstract: We assess the impact of pandemic-induced educational disruptions on college outcomes using primary data from a multi-round survey of students in UC Davis's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Our panel data spans both COVID-19 and post-pandemic years, capturing variations in teaching methodologies.By combining this survey data with administrative records, we analyze how the shift from traditional on-campus instruction affected student outcomes, with particular attention to historically underrepresented groups—including low-income students and those identifying as African American/Black, Hispanic/Latinx, and Native American/Alaskan Native (AHN).
Affirmative Action in Politics: Public Good Delivery and Quality of Leaders in Villages in India
Abstract: Using the Rural Economic & Demographic Survey of India, I examine how caste-based political reservations in village elections affect leadership quality and public service delivery. I exploit the rotational nature of these reservations at the village level to establish causal relationships. While existing literature suggests that caste-based voting leads to lower-quality leaders, I hypothesize that this effect varies with the demographic composition of villages. Specifically, when reserved castes constitute a majority or near-majority of the village population, reservations may enhance political competition and diminish incumbency advantages based on caste identity. However, these benefits may not materialize when reservations are allocated to minority caste groups. I test this heterogeneity by analyzing how reservation effects vary with the demographic share of different caste groups in village populations.
Abstract: We examine how affirmative action policies influence students' choice of academic fields in higher education. While existing literature attributes 50-70% of STEM gender gaps to systematic differences in preferences between men and women, we investigate whether affirmative action can reshape these choices. Using application data from Ugandan public universities, we analyze how students strategically adjust their major rankings in response to changed admission probabilities under affirmative action. Our preliminary findings reveal that both men and women modify their program choices in response to the policy, resulting in a reduction of gender gaps in STEM applications.
The Impact of COVID-19 on Educational Outcomes for Marginalized Students Across Agricultural Majors (with Kristin Kiesel & Sean Kiely)
Abstract: We assess the impact of pandemic-induced educational disruptions on college outcomes using primary data from a multi-round survey of students in UC Davis's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Our panel data spans both COVID-19 and post-pandemic years, capturing variations in teaching methodologies.By combining this survey data with administrative records, we analyze how the shift from traditional on-campus instruction affected student outcomes, with particular attention to historically underrepresented groups—including low-income students and those identifying as African American/Black, Hispanic/Latinx, and Native American/Alaskan Native (AHN).
Affirmative Action in Politics: Public Good Delivery and Quality of Leaders in Villages in India
Abstract: Using the Rural Economic & Demographic Survey of India, I examine how caste-based political reservations in village elections affect leadership quality and public service delivery. I exploit the rotational nature of these reservations at the village level to establish causal relationships. While existing literature suggests that caste-based voting leads to lower-quality leaders, I hypothesize that this effect varies with the demographic composition of villages. Specifically, when reserved castes constitute a majority or near-majority of the village population, reservations may enhance political competition and diminish incumbency advantages based on caste identity. However, these benefits may not materialize when reservations are allocated to minority caste groups. I test this heterogeneity by analyzing how reservation effects vary with the demographic share of different caste groups in village populations.
Publications
Attracting and Re-engaging New Talent in Agricultural Economics. (with Kristin Kiesel, Sean Kiely, Steve Boucher and Jeffrey Williams). Forthcoming. Applied Economics and Teaching Resources.
Chopra, S. and Pudussery, J. (2014). Social Security Pensions in India: An Assessment. Economic & Political Weekly, Vol-XLIX No. 19, May 10.
Chopra, S. and Khera, R (2012). ‘Cutting delays in MNREGA wages’ published online at www.ideasforindia.in. 10th October 2012.
Does diversification in agricultural production translate into diversified diets? Some evidence from rural India. Report Submitted to Ministry of Finance, India. 2018. (with J.V. Meenaskhi)
Does diversification in agricultural production translate into diversified diets? Some evidence from rural India. Report Submitted to Ministry of Finance, India. 2018. (with J.V. Meenaskhi)
