Research Overview and Experience
As a social justice-focused researcher, my scholarship centers on the social change activities of major foundations related to the academic success of marginalized students. I use mixed methods to explore the influence of major foundations on the college completion agenda and to examine the socialization process of graduate students, focusing on doctoral education, with the goal of informing foundations and university leaders about how to promote equitable practices for underrepresented and underserved students. I was first introduced to philanthropy at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, working as an associate on the undocumented student access initiative. In this role, I collaborated closely with community leaders, funders, faculty members, and advocacy groups to promote administrative changes regarding enrollment practices.
I continued to follow a career working with funders as a research manager at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, collaborating with the Ford Motor Company Fund in capacity-building efforts for Detroit-based nonprofits. My research team and I organized focus groups, informal discussions, and site visits to inform our research design and need assessments for every nonprofit. During my time at Michigan State University, I contributed to an Andrew Mellon Foundation-funded evaluation study regarding the impact of postdoctoral appointments on career outcomes. My team developed a case study, quantified the shifts in philanthropic funding around these areas, visualized networks of universities that produced the most scholars, and triangulated it with interviews to offer policy recommendations. My dissertation built upon this study, empirically investigating the influence of major foundations in social change by mapping grant activity across the sector.
Dissertation Title: Higher Education and Philanthropic Foundations: The College Completion Agenda and Postsecondary Policy Networks
Committee Members: Brendan Cantwell (chair), Sarah Reckhow, Dongbin Kim, Steven Weiland
Articles
Haddad, N. & Cantwell, B. (2021). Private philanthropy, scholarly associations, and the humanities: Positions of centrality, status, and prestige in philanthropic networks. Philanthropy & Education, 4(2), 51-76. doi:10.2979/phileduc.4.2.03 Accompanied network.
Haddad, N. (2021). Philanthropic foundations and higher education: The politics of intermediary organizations. The Journal of Higher Education, 1–30. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221546.2021.1888635
Haddad, N. (2020). Foundation-sponsored networks: Brokerage roles of higher education intermediary organizations. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 28, 122. doi:10.14507/epaa.28.4501
Haddad, N., & Reckhow, S. (2018). The shifting role of higher education philanthropy: A network analysis of philanthropic policy strategies. Philanthropy & Education, 2(1), 25–52. doi: 10.2979/phileduc.2.1.02
Articles in Progress
Haddad, N. & Jess, N. (Submitted). Evolving organizational ties in postsecondary grantmaking: Drivers of philanthropic networks. Accompanied network.
Haddad, N. (Submitted). Financing the College Completion Agenda: Philanthropic investments and strategic approaches to intermediary funding in higher education.
Kim, H., Haddad, N., Clasing-Manquian, P. & Gonzalez, J. (Submitted). Doctoral student development in time of crisis: Implications of COVID-19 on well-being and academic development.
Clasing-Manquian, P., Kim, H., Haddad, N. & Gonzalez, J. (In Progress). Developmental trajectories during doctoral study: Identifying heterogeneity in psychosocial factor’s development
Haddad, N. (In Progress). Major foundations and the College Completion Agenda: Promoting national policy initiatives in postsecondary education.
Media Coverage of Research
Book Chapters
Haddad, N. (Invited). Foundation giving in education: Understanding the impact, changes, and strategies of philanthropy. In N. Drezner (Ed.), Research Handbook on Philanthropy and Education. The Handbook. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Pub. Ltd.
Haddad, N. (2020). Foundations and agencies. In M. Amey & M. David (Ed.), The SAGE Encyclopedia of Higher Education. (Vol. 5). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Backer, L. C., Haddad, N., Teraoka, T., & Wang, K. (2016). Democratizing international business and human rights by catalyzing strategic litigation: The guidelines for multinational enterprises and the U.N. guiding principles of business and human rights from the bottom up. In Martin, J., & Bravo, K. E. (Ed.), The business and human rights landscape: Moving forward, looking back (pp.254-287). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.
Book Reviews
Haddad, N. (2018). Policy patrons: Philanthropy, education reform, and the politics of influence. [Review of the book Policy Patrons: Philanthropy, Education Reform, and the Politics of Influence, by Megan E. Tompkins-Stange]. Philanthropy & Education, 2 (1), 125–128. doi: 10.2979/phileduc.2.1.07
Presentations
Kim, H., Haddad, N., Clasing-Manquian, P. & Gonzalez, J. (Research Paper Session). (November, 2021). Doctoral students and Covid-19: Crisis, inequity and identity development. To be presented at The Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) Annual Conference, San Juan, PR.
Haddad, N. & Jess, N. (Division J, Section 3) (April, 2021). Evolving organizational ties in postsecondary grantmaking: Drivers of philanthropic networks. Presented at The American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Conference, Virtual Meeting.
Haddad, N. (Research Paper Session). (November, 2020). Philanthropic investments and strategic approaches to intermediary funding in higher education. Presented at The Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) Annual Conference, Virtual Meeting.
Haddad, N. (Division J, Section 5) (April, 2020). Major foundations and the College Completion Agenda: Promoting national policy initiatives in postsecondary education. Presented at The American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA. (Conference canceled)
Haddad, N. (SIG, Philanthropy and Education) (April, 2020). Philanthropic investments and strategic approaches to intermediary funding in higher education. Presented at The American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA. (Conference canceled)
Haddad, N. (Division J, Section 5) (April, 2019). Philanthropic foundations and intermediary organizations: Mapping the college completion agenda. Presented at The American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Conference, Toronto, CA.
Haddad, N. (Division J, Section 5). (April, 2019). Philanthropic foundations and intermediary organizations: Mapping the college completion agenda. Presented at The American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Conference, Toronto, CA.
Haddad, N. (SIG, Philanthropy and Education). (April, 2019). Brokerage roles of higher education intermediary organizations in foundation sponsored networks. Presented at The American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Conference, Toronto, CA.
Haddad, N. (Research Paper Session). (November, 2018). Institutional divestment in higher education philanthropy: The politics of intermediary organizations. Presented at The Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) Annual Conference, Tampa, FL.
Haddad, N. & Cantwell, B. (Research Paper Session). (November, 2018). Philanthropy, intermediaries, and the humanities: Positions of centrality, status and prestige in philanthropic sponsored networks. Presented at The Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) Annual Conference, Tampa, Florida.
Haddad, N. (September, 2018). Higher education and philanthropic organizations: The increased reliance on intermediary entities for policy deliberation. Presented at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy SPI Annual Conference, Indianapolis, IN.
Haddad, N. (June, 2018). Philanthropic investments and higher education: Is funding moving away from the university?” Presented at The Stanford PACS Junior Scholars Forum at The Stanford Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society, Stanford, CA.
Haddad, N. (SIG, Philanthropy and Education). (April, 2018). Philanthropic investments and higher education: Is funding moving away from the university?” Presented at The American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Conference, New York, NY.
Cantwell, B. & Haddad, N. (Research Paper Session). (November, 2017). Patrons and the humanities postdoc: A faculty labor market symptom or solution? Presented at The Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) Annual Conference, Houston, TX.
Haddad, N. & Reckhow, S. (Division J, Section 5). (May, 2017). The shifting role of higher education philanthropy: A network analysis of philanthropic strategies in postsecondary education. Presented at The American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Conference, San Antonio, TX.
Technical Reports
Cantwell, B. (2019). A qualitative study about the humanities postdoc. New York, NY. (Sponsored by the American Council of Learned Society and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation) (Research Contributor).
Professional Affiliations
Diversity Scholars Network, National Center for Institutional Diversity (NCID), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Faculty Affiliate, The Julian Samora Research Institute, Michigan State University
Professional and Editorial Service
Philanthropy & Education
Editorial Board Member, 2019 – Present
Reviewer
Journal of Political Science, 2021
Reviewer
The Foundation Review, 2021
Reviewer
American Educational Research Association (AERA)
Program Chair (Philanthropy & Education SIG, 2018 – Present)
Session Reviewer, 2019
Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE)
Policy, Finance & Economics Section Discussant
Proposal Reviewer, 2018 – Present
Nabih Haddad 