Alumni Profile: Rachel Blume, Policy Analytics Credential’24

Rachel Blume earned her BA in public policy studies at the University of Chicago in 2021. She brought a rich research background to her undergraduate experience, having served as a Research Assistant at Advance Illinois and a Data Analytics Intern at the Philadelphia Department of Human Services.

Currently a Research Associate at the American Institutes for Research (AIR), Blume described her work as “working on equity-driven research projects that build on our collective knowledge of successful school improvement strategies.”

Blume's research interests in the field of education policy—particularly the intersection between education and inequality—is informed by her personal experiences. “At the University of Chicago, I spent a lot of my time tutoring or teaching in the classroom, and I feel fortunate that school has been a place of encouragement and growth for me. I’d like to help make it that way for others—for schools to play a role in helping make us less unequal.”

Reaching those goals, Blume said, is why she returned to the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy in summer 2024 to complete the Policy Analytics Credential (PAC), a nine-week program centered on developing R programming skills for statistical analysis.

“I have the theoretical knowledge of quantitative research, but I wanted those core R skills," Blume said. "Being able to take a course where I could do the actual coding was important, and PAC presented an ideal opportunity to learn the best practices for data exploration and analysis through hands-on experiences in R programming—and statistical methods—with a policy angle."

Blume plans to use the skills she developed through PAC to continue contributing to research on education policy, particularly the emerging practice of community schools. “I am eager to apply these quantitative skills to amplify my impact at AIR, particularly in transforming my research into actionable policy recommendations. As a relatively new policy area, community schools require new research—and I am ready to create it. My dream is to be able to prove definitively that providing access to food, mental health services, and things beyond academics has a positive impact on education over time."

In keeping with her focus on school equity, Blume emphasized the importance of programs like PAC when it comes to supporting learners and workers.

“It’s great that programs like PAC exist, and I appreciate that AIR provided financial support for this growth opportunity. I believe it’s vital for young professionals who want to be lifelong learners to have these kinds of experiences. Even if someone learns they don’t like R and don’t want to be a coder, that’s great: at least they learned that in a 9-week class as opposed to a two-year MPP. PAC has provided me with this great entryway and empowered me with these quantitative skills. As an aspiring mixed-methods researcher, I am excited to use what I learned from this program to weave data into well-crafted public policy and initiate impactful change.”