Paul Jacobs

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology

Paul Jacobs is a doctoral candidate in Sociology studying the determinants of immigration policy at the state level.

In a play on Theda Skocpol’s seminal work on institutions, Paul’s dissertation research seeks to “bring the state(s) back in” by focusing on the institutional arrangements at the state level essential to structuring the policy contexts that facilitate integrative or exclusionary immigration legislation. Prior to enrolling at Utah State University, Paul graduated magna cum laude from Binghamton University with a degree in Sociology.

Since arriving at USU for graduate school, Paul has worked on numerous projects including analysis of the groundbreaking set of integrative immigration bills known as the Utah Solution, as well as working on a statewide refugee needs assessment. Paul’s academic contributions have been recognized by peer-reviewed scholarly journals and have been presented to a wide range of audiences including numerous academic conferences, state agencies, and a Utah legislator.

Paul was also granted the great honor of helping organize and moderate a Tanner Symposium panel discussion on immigration and food security in Utah. In his spare time, Paul teaches civics at the English Language Center to immigrants preparing for the U.S. citizenship exam.