Friday, February 19, 2021
9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
This workshop is hosted by the Center for Social & Behavioral Science and the University of Illinois System Institute of Government and Public Affairs.
The COVID-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented public health crisis and impacted almost every aspect of our lives. The pandemic has also brought additional economic hardship to vulnerable communities, in Illinois and across the nation.
This Policy and Poverty Summit gives a 360-degree perspective on the challenges facing vulnerable communities, families and individuals. Experts canvass both the scale of the challenges and particular dimensions, such as food insecurity, educational divides, and the looming specters of homelessness.
The Policy and Poverty Summit features expert faculty, including Associate Professor Sage Kim, from the University of Illinois Chicago; Associate Professor Ruby Mendenhall, from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Professor David Merriman, from the University of Illinois Chicago; and Professor Jason Mazzone, from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College of Law, and Sally Kolb from Land of Lincoln Legal Aid. Their presentations give an overview of the economic situation, vulnerable populations, and issues surrounding access to justice.
The Summit also includes Professor Craig Gundersen and Assistant Professor Chelsea Singleton, from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, discussing food insecurity policy; Associate Professor Andrew Greenlee and Assistant Professor Michelle Layser from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, examining policy around housing; and Professor Benjamin Superfine from the University of Illinois Chicago, and Assistant Professor Meghan Kessler, from the University of Illinois Springfield, exploring poverty and education policy.