She received her Ph.D. in Sociology from Northwestern University. Her research has appeared in sociological and educational journals, including Sociological Focus and Educational Technology. Cassidy’s research focuses on the relationship between technological change and inequality. More specifically, she uses a mixed-methods approach to explain differences in adolescents’ ability to learn new technologies—what she calls their “digital adaptability” and measures on a 15-item Digital Adaptability Scale—and looks at how differences in digital adaptability influence educational, occupational, and health inequalities.