Maral Khanjani awarded prestigious Interdisciplinary Doctoral Fellowship

The IDF is a highly competitive, university-wide honor awarded to only 18.5% of nominees. It recognizes doctoral students whose research demonstrates exceptional interdisciplinary reach. As an IDF fellow, Khanjani will receive a $25,000 stipend and tuition support to dedicate a full year to her original research.

The Research: Return-to-Office Mandates and Motherhood

Maral's project, titled The Mandated Reversal of Flexibility: Evaluating the Motherhood Penalty, addresses a critical shift in the modern labor market. As many organizations transition away from pandemic-era hybrid/remote work, Maral is investigating how return-to-office mandates specifically affect working mothers.

Her study aims to determine if the loss of workplace flexibility correlates with:

• Stagnated pay growth
• Delayed promotion opportunities
• Decreased career advancement

By synthesizing insights from Human Resource Development, labor economics, and gender policy, the research seeks to provide a data-driven foundation for designing more equitable hybrid work policies that support, rather than penalize, caregivers.

About Maral Khanjani

Advised by Dr. Sehoon Kim, Khanjani’s broader research portfolio explores career equity, algorithmic management, remote work, and how organizational decisions influence gendered labor market outcomes. Her work continues to bridge the gap between academic theory and the practical design of inclusive workplace environments.