Paul Attewell

Paul Attewell is distinguished professor of sociology, social welfare, urban education, and quantitative methods in The Graduate Center at City University of New York (CUNY). Dr. Attewell is a sociologist whose research focuses on inequality in higher education, especially issues of access and degree completion among economically disadvantaged undergraduates. He has studied middle and high schools and colleges, using a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods. His research has examined the reasons behind low degree completion rates in nonselective colleges and includes randomized controlled field experiments in which lower-income undergraduates are encouraged to increase their “academic momentum” in college, using monetary incentives. Dr. Attewell has earned various honors and awards for his research, including distinctions from the Institute for Education Sciences (IES) alongside The Ascendium Education Group, The Spencer Foundation and The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He is also affiliated with the American Sociological Association and the American Education Research Association. Dr. Attewell holds a PhD in sociology from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) along with a BSc in chemistry from University College, The University of London (UoL).

updated 2024