Sarah Eppler-Epstein’s mix of academic interests—public policy and criminal justice—perfectly suited her for her new job as a research assistant at the Justice Policy Center at the Urban Institute in Washington D.C.
“Haverford prepared me well for this opportunity,” says Eppler-Epstein, who starts this new assignment on June 17. “In my Peace, Justice, and Human Rights concentration, I studied incarceration and criminal justice in the United States. In my political science major, I learned about public policy and learned how to conduct social science research.”
Eppler-Epstein is a Phi Beta Kappa Society member who graduated magna cum laude and was awarded both the Harold P. Kurzman Prize in political science and the Jonathan Mohrig ’86 Memorial Prize, which is given by the students’ council to the student that best contributes to the quality of life at Haverford. During her time on campus she co-headed the Rethink Incarceration club, a group that discusses issues of detention and the legal system in the United States.
Her political science thesis, “Equal Justice for All? An Analysis of Initiatives to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Juvenile Detention,” also explored mass incarceration issues in this country. Specifically, her capstone work provided policy recommendations based on evaluating three initiatives that sought to decrease racial and ethnic disparities in the juvenile detention system. She hopes the work at Urban Institute will be similar to the kind of research and analysis she did for her thesis.
“I learned so much from the people I met and the experiences I had at Haverford,” says Eppler-Epstein, who is especially grateful to her mentor, Assistant Professor of Political Science Zach Oberfield. “I am excited to continue learning and developing my research skills at the Urban Institute.”
—Hina Fathima ’15
“Where They’re Headed” is a blog series reporting on the post-collegiate plans of recent Haverford graduates.