Tessa Holtzman

About

I am a PhD candidate in the sociology department at Stanford University. I study gender, family, and workplaces using primarily quantitative and computational methods, though I maintain an interest in qualitative methods. In my dissertation, I study the evolution of our cultural understanding of the relationship between work and family. In a number of collaborative projects, I study gender inequality in the workplace and in the family.

I grew up in Las Cruces, NM, and received my B.A. in political science from Bates College in 2017. I received my M.A. in public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School in 2022. Before beginning my Ph.D. at Stanford, I held a research role at the Institute for Women’s Policy Research and a legal assistant role at GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders, an impact litigation law firm.

Latest Publications

• Torche F., Holtzman T., McDaniel T.W. (2026). Still the Father’s Name? Normative Change and Continuity in Children’s Surnames, Social Science Research, Volume 135
• As a research assistant for the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, I wrote a number of policy breifs on student parents. You can find these publication here