Alumni Profile: Laney Taylor, Data and Policy Summer Scholar Program ’24

Laney Taylor, DPSS’24, said the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy Data and Policy Summer Scholar (DPSS) program has been an invaluable asset as her career evolves from “utility player” to “research leader” at Child Trends, a prominent research organization aimed at improving children’s lives. “I came into my job with more qualitative skills, but I noticed the research in my role used mixed methods to shape stories with data. So, when I came across DPSS, I realized I could strengthen my quantitative side to approach research projects from both perspectives.”

DPSS’s unique emphasis on the practical application of technical skills greatly appealed to Taylor. “The focus on public policy made the program stand out. It’s one thing to learn R and run regressions, but it’s another to add a layer of context of when it’s important and when you’d use it, and I wanted that awareness.”

During her time in DPSS, Taylor was selected for the highly competitive live capstone showcase. “It was a great opportunity to share a condensed version of the work I did—taking a step back and sharing big-picture takeaways and insights with others and getting feedback—was immensely valuable.”

Taylor’s capstone project analyzed U.S. electoral patterns and intergenerational mobility. “I was given one dataset on electoral patterns over time and one that focused on intergenerational mobility. Our task was to share how to glean insights from both datasets, and my focus was on how educational expenditures and investment influenced presidential elections. The role of education as it impacts intergenerational mobility and how it impacts young people has long been of interest to me.”

The live capstone showcase also taught Taylor how to translate complex research into a concise, compelling, five-minute narrative. “It’s sometimes hard as a researcher to ‘get to the point,’ because we’re cautious about how we interpret data and its limitations. Getting live feedback from the professors on my approach was fantastic, because their questions also showed me how to further develop a given project and approach it from a new angle.”

DPSS, Taylor said, also provided skills that she was able to apply immediately to her career. “Now I have more questions whenever I see data I didn’t collect or analyze. I have always had incredible mentors at Child Trends to support me in this process, and DPSS showcased practices for learning the nuances and limitations of data—what it can and can’t say when it comes to designing research projects. That extra layer is an important element that DPSS ingrained in me.”

Additionally, Taylor learned data analysis techniques that have helped her handle large, complex datasets. “For example, I recently analyzed data from the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study. It was a robust data set, so I had to be specific in what I was looking for. Now, applying techniques I learned through DPSS, I better understand the nuances of the data to tell a story.”

Looking ahead, Taylor said she’s interested in thinking about how cities and towns can be responsive to the needs of children and young people. “I want to create healthy communities that support and provide opportunities for young people. When we think about city planning and public administration from the lens of a young person or child, we get rich insights that may be absent in other contexts. So, centering youth voices is important to me as I move forward.”