Phil Pendergast, PhD
he/him, Assistant Professor, Director, Tedrow Lab for Demographic and Social Research
About
PhD University of Colorado at Boulder, 2018
BS Western Washington University, 2010
Phil Pendergast is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology at Western Washington University, and the Director of the Tedrow Lab for Demographic and Social Research. His research focuses on better understanding social inequalities, often working collaboratively with governmental partners to inform and advocate for evidence-based policy. In addition to publishing in a wide variety of subject areas and academic journals, he has co-authored technical reports with the Census Bureau and Colorado State government, where he is currently assisting the Colorado Department of Education with an evaluation of the state's School Counselor Corps Grant Program to determine whether access to additional counseling resources reduces disparities in high school graduation and college enrollment.
As an instructor, Phil aims to democratize access to high quality data and understanding of statistical techniques to empower students to conduct their own research. He is especially excited to be returning to his alma matter to pay forward the opportunities that he received as a first-generation college student at WWU, which deeply informed his career trajectory. He is happy to talk with students about his journey and to support students in whatever career paths they choose.
Before deciding to return to academia, Phil held positions as a statistical consultant, a program evaluator for a nonprofit, and a survey statistician with the Census Bureau -- jobs that have prepared him well for his other role in the department as the Director of the Tedrow Lab for Demographic and Social Research. He aims to use the lab to facilitate opportunities for collaborative research and to foster the development of job-relevant computing skills.
Research Interests
- Quantitative Methods, Social Inequality, Health and Well-Being, Crime and Punishment, Demography, Quasi-Experiments and Program Evaluation
Current Courses
SOC 320 - Computer Applications for Social Science Data
Selected Publications
Buckley, Pamela R., Pendergast, Philip M., Klopfenstein, Kristin, Poast, Kimberly, & Ramsay, Lauren. (2022). “Does Dual Enrollment Improve Progression Through College and Earnings and Do Outcomes Differ by Race, Gender or Achievement Levels? A Quasi-Experimental Analysis of Colorado Students.” The High School Journal, 105(3), 217-242.
Wadsworth, Tim and Philip M. Pendergast. (2021). “Race, Ethnicity and Subjective Well-Being: Exploring the Disparities in Life Satisfaction Among Whites, Latinx, and Asians." International Journal of Well-Being, 11(2), 51-72.
Pendergast, Philip M., Michael D. Sousa, & Tim Wadsworth. (2021). “Health Insurance and Bankruptcy Risk: Examining the Impact of the Affordable Care Act.” Brooklyn Law Review, 86(3), 975-1002.
Genadek, Katie R., Charles Hokayem, & Philip M. Pendergast. (November 2021). “The Summary Earnings Record and Detailed Earnings Record Extracts.” ADEP Working Paper Series, WP 2021-05. https://www.census.gov/library/working-papers/2021/econ/earnings-record-extracts.html
Buckley, Pamela R., Philip M. Pendergast, Kristin Klopfenstein, Lauren Ramsay, Kimberly Poast, Michael Vente, and Maggie Yang. (September 2020). “Does Concurrent Enrollment improve college access, success, time-to-degree, and earnings? A quasi-experimental analysis of Colorado students.” Policy Brief (Report No. 19-15A). Denver, CO: Colorado Evaluation and Action Lab at the University of Denver.
Gold, Anne U., Philip M. Pendergast, Carol J. Ormand, David A. Budd, & Karl J. Mueller. (2018). “Improving Spatial Thinking Skills among Undergraduate Geology Students through Short Online Training Exercises.” International Journal of Science Education, 40(18): 2205-2225.
Pendergast, Philip M., Tim Wadsworth, & Charis E. Kubrin. (2017). “Suicide in Happy Places: Is There Really a Paradox?” Journal of Happiness Studies, 20, 81-99.
Gold, Anne U., Philip M. Pendergast, Carol J. Ormand, David A. Budd, Jennifer A. Stempien, Karl J. Mueller, & Katherine A. Kravitz. (2017). “Spatial Skills in Undergraduate Students: Influence of Gender, Motivation, Academic Training, and Childhood Play.” Geosphere, 14(2): 668-683.
Pendergast, Philip M., Tim Wadsworth, & Joshua Lepree. (2017). “Immigration, Crime, and Victimization in the U.S. Context: An Overview.” The Handbook of Race, Ethnicity, Crime, and Justice. Hollis, Meghan, Martinez, Ramiro, & Stowell, Jacob (Eds).
Rogers, Richard G., Jason D. Boardman, Philip M. Pendergast, & Elizabeth M. Lawrence. (2015). “Drinking Problems and Mortality Risk in the United States.” Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 151(1), 38–46.
Wadsworth, Tim & Philip M. Pendergast. (2014). “Obesity (Sometimes) Matters: The Importance of Context in the Obesity-Happiness Relationship.” Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 55(2), 196-214.