I am a PhD Candidate in the Criminology, Law & Society department at the University of California - Irvine.

I study how educational institutions respond to law that regulates students' experiences and access. My research lies at the intersection of the socio-legal study of law and organizations, the sociology of education, and studies of law and social change.

My dissertation applies these literatures to understand how Title IX’s enactment is influenced by private companies. I combine participant observation, interviews, and content analysis to trace how the meaning and practice of Title IX is brokered by third-party training and consulting groups. This research is supported by the National Science Foundation and UCI’s Initiative to End Family Violence.

In other, collaborative research, I study the educational experiences of undocumented students and university efforts to support students of various legal statuses. This research has been published by Law & Society Review, Sociological Perspectives, and Journal of Latinos and Education.

My research interests are informed by my prior work experience: before UCI, I taught middle and high school in Houston, TX.

You can see my CV here. You can also reach me at ipatten@uci.edu.