Melinda Jensen (MPA'20) Receives 2020 NASPAA Pi Alpha Alpha Master's Student Manuscript Award

Melinda Jensen, a recent graduate from the SPAA MPA program, has received the 2020 NASPAA Pi Alpha Alpha Master's Student Manuscript Award for her capstone paper "The Inequitable Burden of Care: Measuring the Effects of Informal Eldercare on Women's Employment in the United States." Using data from the United States Census Bureau's American Time Use Survey (ATUS) from 2011 to 2018, her study determined whether informal eldercare impedes women's employment in the United States. The second goal of the research was to determine if paid family leave insurance (FLI) programs impact the labor force participation rates of female caregivers. Her results show evidence of the "role enhancement hypothesis," a positive relationship between caregiving and working amongst female eldercare providers, and findings imply supporting family caregivers and developing additional measures to test for female workforce attachment. 

Her research stemmed from her personal experience. She watched her mother struggle to navigate the complexities of Medicare and long-term care facilities for her grandfather, all while juggling full-time employment. As she started her MPA and capstone project, she researched the impact that informal caregiving has on female workforce participation. She analyzed paid family leave policies for caregivers and their influence on women's workforce attachment and earnings.

"Women bear a disproportionate burden of caregiving responsibilities, and the public policies meant to aid them are often underfunded, underpromoted, and rarely reaching women from disadvantaged backgrounds who need them the most," said Jensen. "As a country, we can, and must, do better."

On receiving the award, she said, "I am grateful to the NASPAA award committee members who reviewed my paper and selected it for this honor. I hope this research will bring much-needed attention to the issue of informal eldercare and the impact it has on women's employment. We are at a critical moment as the U.S. population ages, and women continue to assume a majority of caregiving duties. Together, through effective public policy, we can address this issue of systemic inequality."

As a recent MPA graduate with research and program management experience, she is pursuing career opportunities managing healthcare programs and policies. She is particularly enthusiastic about working with organizations that support seniors or at-risk populations.

"I am grateful for my MPA experience at SPAA. I believe that SPAA fosters a thoughtful, engaging community full of diverse voices. I found that many of my fellow students are committed to creating positive social change in their communities and beyond," said Jensen. She also spoke about Dr. Rachel Emas, SPAA assistant teaching professor and her capstone advisor. "Dr. Emas' encouragement and guidance throughout the capstone process were crucial to my success in winning this award."