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Portrait of Michael Cooper

Education

  1. PhD, Education Policy and Social ContextUniversity of California, Irvine
  2. MA, Sociology — Demographic AnalysisUniversity of California, Irvine
  3. MA, EducationUniversity of California, Irvine
  4. BA, PhysicsWake Forest University
  5. BA, EconomicsWake Forest University

Postdoctoral Scholar

Michael Cooper

Michael Cooper is a Postdoctoral Scholar in the UC Irvine School of Education. He studies how nontraditional postsecondary pathways—including noncredit credentials, multi-institutional attendance, and simultaneous enrollment—can help students reach education and career goals. His work uses quasi-experimental and econometric methods and focuses especially on returning students, adult and working learners, and students underserved by traditional pathways.

Research interests

Noncredit educationWorkforce credentialsQuasi-experimental methodsAdult learnersPostsecondary pathways

Projects

Workforce training materials, safety equipment, and career pathway cards on a workbenchWorkforce Training & Employment

From Training to Employment

Active · 2024Technical training workspace with branching floor pathways and hands-on learning equipmentWorkforce Training & Employment

Stronger Noncredit Workforce Pipelines

Active · 2022

Presentations

2026
Michael Cooper · Association for Education Finance and Policy Annual Conference
2025
Michael Cooper · Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management Fall Research Conference
2025
Michael Cooper · Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness Conference
2025
Michael Cooper · Association for Education Finance and Policy Annual Conference