Through collaborative research projects with community colleges, state higher education agencies, colleges and universities, and others, Postsecondary Education and Employment Research Projects (PEERs) centers its work on generating knowledge to create focused, organized, and persistent initiatives that can create equitable solutions to today’s education and workforce challenges.
Through a range of methodological approaches, the projects we take on seek to identify and address inequities that hinder American higher education from delivering on its promise to students and center community colleges as engines for opportunity and workforce development.
Click on the links below to learn more about recent PEERs research and publications.
Community College Bachelor’s Degrees
We produce high-quality research, and research-to-practice information on the scale, implementation, and outcomes of bachelor’s degrees offered by community colleges nationwide.
Community College STEM Transfer
As part of the Community College S-STEM Network (CCSN), an NSF sponsored research hub, we generate, translate and amplify research on low-income community college STEM student decision-making and pathways.
Postsecondary Education in Washington
Through partnerships with the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, individual community colleges, and others we research new and innovative approaches to meaningful education credentials..
Career and Technical Education
https://evans.uw.edu/faculty-research/data-for-decision-making-d4dm/. Our research focuses on the programs, quality, and academic and career outcomes of postsecondary CTE, especially CTE programs centered in community colleges.
Publications
Scholarly works published by our team are posted here as well as on the corresponding research project webpage. All of our reports, briefs, conference papers, academic publications and scholarly papers are externally reviewed by at least one peer reviewer who is a scholar in the field of expertise associated with the publication.
- Meza, Elizabeth. (2025). Affordable Bachelor’s Degrees are Available at Community Colleges – Depending on Where You Live.
- Bragg, Debra, D. (2025). Labels Matter: Reframing and Valuing Non-Traditional Adult Learners in Community College. Office of Community College Research and Leadership, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
- Meza, E., Espino, M., & Bragg, D. (2025). Retention of Academically Talented STEM Scholarship Recipients in Community College. Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice, 25(2).
- Bragg, D. D. (2025). What it takes to get community college bachelor’s degree programs approved. Seattle, WA: University of Washington.
- Meza, E., Pawlicki, C. (2025). “How Much Less? Examining the Tuition and Fees of Bachelor’s Degrees Offered by Community Colleges”. University of Washington
- Meza, E., Bragg, D. (2025). Washington’s Community College Baccalaureate Degrees: Growth and Outcomes, 2024 Update. University of Washington
- Meza, E. (2024). Community College Bachelor’s Degrees in Washington State: An Update on Enrollment, Completion, and Labor Market Outcomes. New America
- Love, I., Meza, E.A., & Nzau, S., (2024). Community College Bachelor’s Degrees in Texas: A First Look at Enrollment and Outcomes. New America
- Bragg, D., Pawlicki, C., (2024). Considerations for Scaling Up Quality Community College Baccalaureate Degrees
- Meza, E.A., & Love, I., (2023). When community colleges offer a bachelor’s degree. New America
- Meza, E. A., & Bragg, D. D. (2022). Scaling up community college baccalaureates in Washington State: Labor market outcomes and equity implications for higher education. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 30, 140-140.
- Wetzstein, L., Meza, E., Bragg, D. (2022) Evaluating the Student Experience at Community College Baccalaureate Programs. New America.
- Meza, E.A., & Love, I. (2022). Community College Baccalaureate Strategies as an Equity Strategy: Student Access and Outcomes Data. New America.
- Bragg, D. D., Meza, E. A., & Soler, M. C. (2021). Community colleges and broad access colleges/universities as antagonists and allies in conferring baccalaureate degrees. Unlocking opportunity through broadly accessible institutions (pp. 97-115). Routledge.
- Meza, E.A., Blume, G., Balhan, K., Hang, K., Rubin, Z., Zumeta, W., Bragg, D., (2021). The landscape of career and technical education faculty data use for decision-making and program improvement in National Science Foundation – Advanced Technical Education programs in Washington State. Career and Technical Education Research. 46(2), 42-58.
- Meza, E.A., & Blume, G. (2020). Exploring How Institutional Partners Vary in Outcomes for Transfer Students of Color. New Directions for Community Colleges. Volume 192, 37-44.
Who We Are
Grant Blume
