Institutional Research
Rackham Institutional Research (RIR) supports Rackham leadership by providing research, analyses, and data across a variety of areas that cover the range of graduate education. RIR produces annual and periodic reports that cover application and enrollment activity, funding, the student experience, completion rates, and career outcomes. The office interfaces with other University offices to provide guidance and support about graduate education, and works with national organizations to implement and disseminate best practices across the spectrum of graduate education.
Who We Are
- John A. Gonzalez, Director of Institutional Research
- Carrie Brezine, Assistant Director of Institutional Research
- Ameen Alkhabbaz, Applications Programmer/Analyst
- Merle Feldbaum, Research Area Specialist Senior
- Heeyun Kim, Research Fellow
- Asia Woods, Applications Programmer/Analyst
- Yiping Bai, Graduate Student Research Assistant
- Yiran Chen, Graduate Student Research Assistant
What We Do
We compile metrics and summary for Rackham programs across a variety of areas. Two examples are our Program Statistics and our Coalition for Next Generation Life Science statistics. As part of the Coalition for Next Generation Life Sciences, U-M is sharing a number of figures about postdoctoral fellows for those considering careers in the biomedical sciences and those wishing to learn more about postdocs.
- In an effort to better understand the experience of Rackham students, we administer and analyze a number of surveys. The Exit Survey, as an example, looks at the experience of graduating doctoral students.
- We support major research and grant efforts across Rackham and on projects such as the Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP).
- We provide support and guidance for other offices across the university that are working with Rackham data. An example is U-M Almanac on Graduate Academic & Professional Degree Students created by the Office of Budget and Planning.
- Rackham is implementing the Michigan Doctoral Experience Study (MDES) to study the doctoral student experience over the entire trajectory of graduate study and into early career development. The study will inform Rackham programming and policies to better meet student needs, inform program review, and contribute to the scholarship on doctoral student success.