About MDRC
Sutcliffe joined MDRC in 2017. As a research analyst in MDRC’s Center for Applied Behavioral Science (CABS), she works closely with public and nonprofit partners applying the CABS approach to support inclusive organizational innovation and change management. Her primary focus is on identifying system improvements to better support and empower participants and staff members that work with them through key decisions and transitions. She is a project manager on the Washington TANF Behavioral Interventions to Advance Self-Sufficiency – Next Generation (BIAS-NG) project and the Transfer Opportunity Project, and a site liaison for the Applied Behavioral Coalition.
Sutcliffe holds a joint bachelor’s degree in psychology and economics from Bard College. Before joining CABS she worked at Kingsborough Community College in an education opportunity program, where she tutored students and launched several initiatives informed by behavioral science.
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MDRC Publications
CommentaryApril, 2023In this commentary originally published in Inside Higher Ed, Sophia Sutcliffe, Dan Knox, and Marjorie Dorimé-Williams describe a new effort to understand the significant role faculty and staff play when students transfer between community colleges and four-year institutions.
InfographicBarriers to Student Success and Opportunities for Improvement
December, 2020Working with the City University of New York, MDRC’s Center for Applied Behavioral Science mapped factors that impede students transferring from community colleges. This blueprint shows the stages of the transfer process, with information about challenges at each stage and interventions informed by behavioral science that could help overcome them.
ReportOngoing Implementation Experiences
November, 2019Households receiving federal rental subsidies struggle to become self-sufficient. Jobs Plus provides grants to public housing agencies to offer tenants employment-related services, rent-based work incentives, and community support for work. This report examines a second round of Jobs Plus implementation, including evolving program operations, challenges, resident participation, and technical assistance.
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Other Publications
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Projects
Erika Lundquist, Brit Henderson, Richard Hendra, Caitlin Anzelone, Sophia Sutcliffe, Shawna AndersonWashington state is consistently ranked among the bottom states in Free Application for Federal Student Aid ( FAFSA ) completion. In 2017, Washington left more than $50 million in federal student financial aid on the table. In 2019, the Washington Student Achievement Council ( WSAC ) designed an interactive chatbot called OtterBot to help more students to take...
Alexander Mayer, Michelle Ware, Frieda Molina, Hannah Dalporto, Andrea Vasquez, Susan Scrivener, John Diamond, Dorota Biedzio Rizik, Rashida Welbeck, Sophia Sutcliffe, Clinton Key, Melissa Boynton, Austin Slaughter, Erick Alonzo, Kalito Luna, Xavier Alemañy, Melissa WestIncome share agreements ( ISA s) are designed to help students pay for and attend postsecondary education and career training programs. With an ISA , students receive financial support to help cover the cost of their education and, in return, agree to pay a fixed percentage of their future income over a predetermined time period. ISA s are gaining popularity as an...
Caitlin Anzelone, Barbara Condliffe, Rebecca Schwartz, Margaret Hennessy, Xavier Alemañy, Sophia SutcliffeThe Center for Applied Behavioral Science ( CABS ) at MDRC is excited to launch the Applied Behavioral Coalition ( ABC ) project, which partners with nonprofit organizations that serve vulnerable and at-risk populations in the United States. ABC ’s goal is to build each organization’s foundation in behavioral science and human-centered design principles. Leaders, staff...
Caitlin Anzelone, Emily Marano, Dan Bloom, Jean Grossman, John Hutchins, Jared Smith, Frieda Molina, Clinton Key, Sophia Sutcliffe, Jessica Kopsic, Rebecca Schwartz, Sophia Sutcliffe, Faith Lewis, Mary BambinoThe goal of human services programs is to help individuals and families meet critical needs and improve their well-being. But many of these programs require participants to navigate complicated processes—involving many decisions and actions—to receive resources and services. Behavioral science research generates insights about human behavior, including how and why...
Caitlin Anzelone, Emily Marano, Dan Bloom, Jean Grossman, John Hutchins, Jared Smith, Frieda Molina, Clinton Key, Sophia Sutcliffe, Jessica Kopsic, Rebecca Schwartz, Sophia Sutcliffe, Faith Lewis, Mary BambinoThe goal of human services programs is to help individuals and families meet critical needs and improve their well-being. But many of these programs require participants to navigate complicated processes—involving many decisions and actions—to receive resources and services. Behavioral science research generates insights about human behavior, including how and why...