Isaacs provides in-depth historical context for the ascent of and successful 1972 coup by Guillermo Rodríguez Lara, and through field research she analyzes his regime, the causes of its downfall, and the following transition to democratic civilian rule.
[2][4] Isaacs has been interviewed for television networks, including the Public Broadcasting System, about the political, economic, and human rights situations in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador from which thousands of youthful refugees have been fleeing across several nations into the United States.
Her interviews in news media include frequent expert quotes in The New York Times,[5] where she was one of the primary subjects of an episode of The Daily in May 2020[4] and a related story documenting disruptions to college education as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
[9] Isaacs has also published frequently in news media outlets, including multiple articles in The New York Times,[10][11] and in The Washington Post.
[13] Isaacs is a past winner of the American Political Science Association's Rowman & Littlefield Award in Innovative Teaching.