Brooke Qiao (she/her) is a rising third‑year at the University of Texas at Austin where she is pursuing a BA in Psychology, a minor in Social Work, and a certificate in Core Texts and Ideas.
For the past year she has been a research assistant in the Investigating Crime, Law, and Justice in Texas Lab at the University of Texas at Austin, where she cleans and analyzes misdemeanor‑level court data in R. Her current project examines the impact of Texas’ House Bill 2017 on judicial discretion and short‑term incarceration. Her research seeks to understand if reforms intended to equalize outcomes amplify or alleviate the disparities they are targeting.
Beyond her research, Brooke is an Ignite Fellow, a babysitter, and an editor for the Texas Undergraduate Law Journal. Following graduation, Brooke plans to attend law school and specialize in family law, carrying forward her passion for client‑centered advocacy and commitment to equitable justice. During the SURF program, she will work with ABF Research Professor William H. J. Hubbard on a project exploring how market forces intersect with litigation to advance economic equity.