Poverty Initiative
Poverty. It’s one of humankind’s greatest challenges. No century or country has escaped its reach. At Notre Dame, we’re working to understand why. Because, here, researching poverty is both an academic priority and a moral imperative. It’s not only what we do, it’s what we stand for. And stand against. So we’re deploying unprecedented resources, a robust range of research methodologies, and some of our University’s brightest minds to better comprehend what causes poverty, and how to end it. From passionate students to world-class academics from every discipline, the Notre Dame community is partnering with communities around the world to study poverty from every angle, and help find what works to build lasting opportunity.
Status Update
The work of the Poverty Initiative centers on promoting and cultivating poverty-focused academic research, moving research to impact, and educating the next generation of students dedicated to eliminating poverty. The Initiative recently expanded its work through investing in two new research efforts: the formation of the Notre Dame Strengthening Families Initiative in the Department of Economics and migration research efforts based in the Klau Institute for Civil and Human Rights. The Poverty Research Fellows program continues to expand, including implementation of a new Evidence-Based Poverty Alleviation Concentration for economics majors and coursework, internships, and policy experiences open to students in all majors.
Economics concentration launches: Building the next generation of anti-poverty scholars
At the University of Notre Dame, a new generation of students is learning to tackle one of the world's most complex challenges with a powerful tool: evidence.
Managing director finds inspiration in motivating, equipping others in their work to eliminate poverty
Vickie Seeger, managing director of Notre Dame’s Poverty Initiative, found her way back to Notre Dame via a career change and connections made through Notre Dame’s Inspired Leadership Initiative.
Four faculty teams awarded 2025 Poverty Research Packages
A new round of multi-year investments will support high-impact, poverty-related research projects led by Notre Dame faculty in multiple disciplines.
Initiative Leadership
Partners
- Pulte Institute for Global Development
- Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities
- College of Arts and Letters
- Keough School of Global Affairs
- Building Inclusive Growth Lab
- Department of Economics
- Department of Sociology
- Klau Institute for Civil and Human Rights
- Office of Federal and Washington Relations
- Notre Dame Population Analytics
- Strengthening Families Research Initiative
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Poverty Research Package faculty awardees:
- Professor Kyle Bibby, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences
- Professor Abby Córdova, Keough School of Global Affairs
- Professor Frank Germann, Department of Marketing
- Professor Anna Haskins, Department of Sociology
- Professor Rev. Stephen Koeth, C.S.C., Department of History
- Professor Jason Rohr, Department of Biological Sciences
- Professors Kristin Valentino & Laura Miller-Graff, Department of Psychology
- Professor Fanny Ye, Department of Computer Science and Engineering
Additional partners will be added as work on the initiative continues in the coming months and years.
Latest News
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Media Mentions
More Media Mentions-
CNBC
No evidence of productivity boom or large labor disruption from AI: Notre Dame’s Melissa Kearney
August 05, 2026
Melissa Kearney, Aspen Economic Strategy Group director and University of Notre Dame professor of economics, joins ‘Squawk Box’ to discuss AI’s impact on the current labor market and more.
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WNDU
‘Youth Mental Health Summit’ debuts in St. Joseph County
June 24, 2026
The first Youth Mental Health Summit debuted in St. Joseph County, bringing together local mental health resources, clinics, hospitals and leaders from Notre Dame. “I think there’s a crisis of mental health across the country and here in our county is no different in that,” said Kristin Valentino, director of the Veldman Family Psychology Clinic.