New Seminar Series on Poverty Research

Rising economic inequality and extreme poverty in the United States are now central characteristics of society. Together, they result in widening gaps in opportunity, child well-being, and economic mobility, as well as insecure access to housing, nutrition, and basic needs. The American Academy for Social Work and Social Welfare (AASWSW) identified economic inequality as one of the 12 Grand Challenges of Social Work focused on improving individual and family well-being, strengthening the social fabric, and helping create a more just society.

Understanding the current scientific efforts and expanding collaborations among researchers and practitioners will help in designing better solutions to address the challenges posed by growing inequality and poverty. Towards that end, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign School of Social Work has conceived a Seminar Series on Poverty Research. The series will highlight new and emerging research on the causes, consequences, and scope of economic inequality and poverty for children and families.

The series brings outstanding researchers sharing their work on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on child and family well-being.

Visit our events calendar to view upcoming sessions or register below:

• Effects of COVID-19 pandemic on the economic and psychological well-being of hourly service workers and their families
  Presented by: Dr. Anna Gassman-Pines, Associate Professor of Public Policy and Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University
  Mar. 18, 2021 12-1 p.m. CST
• Pandemic precarity: Economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and implications for health disparities
  Presented by: Dr. Brea Perry, Professor, Department of Sociology and Associate Vice Provost for Research, Indiana University
  April 20, 2021 12-1 p.m. CS

Past events:

• Mental Health, Stress and Coping During COVID-19: A Risk & Resilience Perspective
  Presented by: Dr. Shawna J. Lee, Associate Professor, University of Michigan School of Social Work
  Feb. 26, 2021 12-1 p.m. CST