Poverty Research Initiative to host virtual panel on Sept. 30 

Join Dr. George Hinton, President and CEO of the Social Development Commission (SDC), and panelists on Thursday, Sept. 30 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. for a virtual conversation as they discuss their plans for the establishment of a Policy Institute for Poverty and Institutional Racism.  

To sign up for the event, email Nadine Desmarais, executive assistant, Office of Economic Engagement. 

Panelists include: 

  • Dr. Lucas Torres, professor, Marquette University 
  • Commissioner Dr. Chia Youyee Vang, UW Milwaukee 
  • Commissioner Donna Brown-Martin, Milwaukee County Director of Transportation  
  • Dr. Keenan D. Grenell, CEO Global Capital Group LLC   

They will overview their research and concept, as they consider transformative interventions and systems re-engineering related to poverty and the intersections of institutional racism. 

Faculty, staff and students are invited to engage through a discussion share thoughts following the panel presentation. 

About the Poverty Research Initiative 

In recognition of the Ignatian Year and the Jesuits’ Universal Apostolic Preference of “walking with the excluded,” researchers who focus on poverty, its root causes and its subsequent effects on members of various communities across Milwaukee are invited to connect with leaders to explore new ways to engage our research and scholarship with community needs. The Poverty Research Initiative will convene monthly throughout the 2021-22 academic year, engaging community leaders in dialogue and mutual exchange of ideas to inform both practice and research outcomes. 

The Poverty Research Initiative steering committee includes:  

  • Marilyn Frenn, professor, College of Nursing 
  • Aleksandra Snowden, associate professor, College of Arts and Sciences 
  • Gabriel Velez, assistant professor, College of Education 
  • Jeanne Hossenlopp, vice president for research and innovation, Office of Research and Innovation 
  • Dan Bergen, executive director of community engagement, Office of Economic Engagement