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Poverty Solutions at the University of Michigan

Joan and Sanford Weill Hall
Suite 5100
735 South State Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-3091
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About Us

Team

The Poverty Solutions team consists of faculty, staff, fellows, student research assistants, special advisors, and a dean’s advisory board. Poverty Solutions also collaborates with faculty affiliaties across the university. Get to know our team and our vision for our workplace culture below.

Faculty Directors

Staff

Fellows

Special Advisors

Deans’ Advisory Board

Kathryn (Beth) Angell
Dean, School of Social Work; Professor, Social Work

Valeria Bertacco
Vice Provost, Engaged Learning; Arthur F. Thurnau Professor, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

F. DuBois Bowman
Dean, School of Public Health; Roderick Joseph Little Collegiate Professor, Public Health

Kate Cagney
Director, Institute for Social Research; Professor, Sociology

Jonathan Massey
Dean, Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning; Professor, Architecture

Elizabeth Moje
Dean, School of Education; Arthur F. Thurnau and George Herbert Mead Collegiate Professor, Education

Kathleen Sienko
Arthur F. Thurnau Professor, Mechanical Engineering

Celeste Watkins-Hayes
Dean, Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy; University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor, Sociology

Our Workplace Culture

Our ability to collectively fulfill the mission and values of Poverty Solutions begins with our culture. Here, we believe: everyone deserves to be treated with respect, trust is built, and collaboration leads to a stronger team and stronger outcomes. To foster this culture, we practice respect, trust-building and collaboration by committing to:

  1. Extend the most generous interpretation of the intentions, words and actions of others. 
  2. Hold ourselves accountable for the impact of our words and actions and seek to make amends when necessary.
  3. Do what we say we will do, uphold commitments whenever possible, and re-establish expectations when we can’t keep our original commitments.
  4. Be attentive to each other in our time together. 
  5. Reserve judgment, and ask questions as a way to clarify assumptions and solicit diverse points of view, recognizing the limits to our expertise. 
  6. Voice concerns and needs, and affirm colleagues when they do so. 
  7. Set aside time for reflection in our workflows, so we can celebrate our successes and learn from our missteps. 
  8. Learn about the unique skill sets, perspectives, and personal experiences of our teammates through formal and informal interactions that emphasize fun and celebration. 
  9. Regularly revisit and express appreciation for how our individual and collective work advances the organization’s mission and strategic goals. 
  10. Proactively check on each other’s well-being in the course of our work interactions, being mindful of others’ comfort.

How we engage with each other impacts how we engage in partnerships inside and outside the university and in the mentoring of students. By committing to our vision for our internal workplace culture, we are better able to live out our organizational values, resulting in work that has a more widespread, relevant, and meaningful impact on preventing and alleviating poverty.