Nicol Valdez, Ph.D. (she/her) is a social scientist with expertise in policy research, program evaluation, and legislative analysis. Her doctoral research examined the experiences of children in mixed-status immigrant families, exploring how legal status shapes their opportunities and social integration.
Dr. Valdez previously served as a Social Science Research Fellow at the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In this role, she collaborated with leading statisticians and researchers to manage the Annual Survey of Refugees, the government’s primary data collection effort tracking the economic and social integration of newly admitted refugees. She also oversaw program evaluations related to workforce development and social policy, strengthening her expertise in large-scale research initiatives and federal grant management.
Dr. Valdez earned her Ph.D. in Sociology from Columbia University, where she also completed an M.A. and M.Phil. She holds a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with dual majors in Sociology and International Relations.
As a Research Associate, Dr. Valdez is currently working on a project that requires knowledge of her mixed-methods training, and asks: what are the effects of this program, and what can we learn from it? The culmination of the findings will help inform Congress on the continuation of the funding for the program.
