Katharine Broton

Katharine Broton, PhD is an Assistant Professor at the University of Iowa's College of Education. She holds a PhD in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Her work focuses on addressing basic needs insecurity (food, housing) among college students and the intersection of financial aid with academic outcomes.

Her research explores how material hardships like food insecurity and housing instability affect student success, particularly in community college settings. She designs and evaluates interventions such as meal voucher programs and policy reforms to support low-income students. Broton's work bridges higher education policy, sociology, and public welfare, emphasizing systemic solutions to poverty in academic settings.

Her publications highlight causal impacts of financial aid on STEM enrollment, longitudinal effects of scholarships, and the role of universities in addressing poverty. Recent studies include experimental evaluations of meal support programs and analyses of housing insecurity's academic consequences. Broton collaborates with institutions to develop actionable policies, such as expanding federal food benefits to college students.

Her research has informed national initiatives like the California State University Basic Needs Initiative and Swipe Out Hunger. Broton's work consistently advocates for institutional accountability and systemic changes to ensure student well-being and equitable access to education.