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. This spring, the Poverty Initiative marked a major milestone with the launch of the Poverty Research Fellows' Evidence-Based Poverty Alleviation Concentration (EBPAC), an academic program designed to prepare undergraduate economics majors to understand poverty and approach solutions through rigorous research and data.
"The launch of this concentration reflects the Poverty Initiative's commitment to forming students who can analyze complex social issues and understand how evidence translates into action," said Jim Sullivan, director of the Poverty Initiative. "We are investing in developing future leaders who will shape evidence-based solutions for decades to come."
The new concentration introduces a sequence of courses that help students build quantitative research skills and expose them to the latest research on the effectiveness of poverty alleviation programs and policies. Students also participate in a seminar series featuring researchers, policymakers, and practitioners working on the front lines of anti-poverty efforts.
Interest among students is strong and continues to grow. In its inaugural semester, the first concentration course, The Economics of Poverty, enrolled 31 students, including concentration participants, staff auditors, and undergraduates from a wide range of majors, minors, and class years.
The concentration is led by Adrienne Judson, Assistant Teaching Professor of Economics, who designed the curriculum, guides the program's academic direction, advises its students, and teaches its core courses. Judson earned her Ph.D. in Economics from Georgetown University and her Bachelor of Philosophy in Mathematics-Economics from the University of Pittsburgh.
"The program reflects a core part of Notre Dame's mission to form students," Judson said. "Basil Moreau, founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross, famously wrote, 'The mind will not be cultivated at the expense of the heart,' and this concentration brings that vision to life.
"It is my hope," Judson said, "that no matter where my students end up in life, they will carry with them an understanding of empirical evidence, an empathy for those who are in need, and a commitment to using their talents to serve the common good."