Poverty Solutions

Christina Weiland is an associate professor at the University of Michigan's School of Education and Ford School of Public Policy (by courtesy), where she is affiliated with the Educational Studies department, the Combined Program in Psychology and…

Gerber’s research focuses on regionalism and intergovernmental cooperation, sustainable development, urban climate adaptation, transportation policy, community and economic development, local fiscal capacity, and local political accountability.

A social demographer, Lantz studies the role of public policy in improving population health and reducing social disparities in health. She is currently engaged in research regarding innovative financing approaches for supportive housing among Medicaid beneficiaries, and also on how COVID-19 is exacerbating existing social and health inequalities in the U.S.

Lin, a political scientist, studies how people experience policy implementation. Her current work examines racial and ethnic difference in the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic; bias reduction against Muslims; national security scapegoating of immigrant groups; conservatism among immigrants; and subnational labor migration policy.

Parthasarathy studies the governance of emerging science and technology and politics of evidence and expertise in policy in comparative and international perspective. Her current work focuses on the development and implications of COVID-19 testing, and inclusive innovation in international development. She co-hosts The Received Wisdom podcast.

Pilkauskas' research considers how social policy might improve the developmental and life trajectories of low-income children. She has looked at living arrangements of low-income children, especially those who live with grandparents, as well as the role of family/kin transfers in helping families make ends meet; links between maternal employment and school outcomes; the effectiveness of the Earned Income Tax Credit; and the effects of the Great Recession on low-income households.

Shaefer is associate dean for research and policy engagement. He serves as the inaugural director of Poverty Solutions, an interdisciplinary, presidential initiative at U-M that seeks to partner communities and policymakers to find new ways to prevent and alleviate poverty. Shaefer’s research on poverty and social welfare policy in the United States has been published in top peer-reviewed academic journals in the fields of public policy, social work, public health, health services research, and history.

Tompkins-Stange is a scholar of education policy and philanthropy, focusing on the influence of private foundations on the politics of K-12 school reform.

Watkins-Hayes is an internationally-recognized scholar and expert on HIV/AIDS; urban poverty; social policy; and racial, class, and gender inequality. Her work illuminates social problems of great interest to scholars, communities, and policymakers. She works at the intersection of sociology, African American Studies, and public policy. Her work analyzes the impact of the HIV epidemic on women and the growth of the HIV safety net.

Trevor Bechtel is the student engagement and strategic projects manager for Poverty Solutions. Bechtel provides leadership and oversight to several Washtenaw County research projects, including the Prosecutor Transparency Project, and he engages…

Patrick Cooney (MPP '11) is the assistant director of economic mobility at Poverty Solutions, overseeing the Partnership on Economic Mobility between the University of Michigan and the City of Detroit. In this role, he manages existing projects…

Kathleen Hurley is a SummerWorks program fellow with Poverty Solutions and primarily based at Michigan Works! Southeast. In this role, Kathleen supports implementation and expansion of SummerWorks, Washtenaw County's Summer Youth Employment…

Armeka Richey is the administrative coordinator for Poverty Solutions, where she supports the day-to-day work of the faculty director and provides administrative oversight and event planning support. Prior to joining Poverty Solutions, Armeka worked…

Lauren Slagter is a senior communications specialist at Poverty Solutions, sharing the impact of the initiative’s research with members of the media and the public. Previously, Slagter spent eight years as a daily news reporter, primarily covering…