During this session we will begin to discuss the economic, social, institutional, and policy related factors that contribute to poverty in our community and the Chicago area. We will also focus on innovative approaches to poverty, and research that highlights the role DePaul can play in addressing the struggles of the urban poor.
Keynote Speaker:
Raj Shah,
Co-Director
Center for Community Health Equity
Raj C. Shah, MD, is the Co-Director of the Center for Community Health Equity, a collaboration led by DePaul University and Rush University. Dr. Shah is a geriatrician at Rush University Medical Center and a Professor in the Department of Family & Preventive Medicine and the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center for over 20 years. Through his work in the Center for Community Health Equity, he is interested in understanding how the design and implementation of activities to advance belonging improves community health equity.
Shannon Simonovich,
Senior Associate Director for Academics and Engagement, Associate Professor
College of Science and Health
Shannon D. Simonovich, PhD, RN, is a public health nursing researcher with expertise in perinatal health, prevention programming, and COVID-19. Dr. Simonovich is an Associate Professor, and the Senior Associate Director for Academics and Engagement in the School of Nursing at DePaul University’s College of Science and Health in Chicago, Illinois. Her national service contributions include elected roles in the American Public Health Association, the North American Society for Psychosocial Obstetrics & Gynecology, and membership on the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic & Neonatal Nursing. She received her PhD from the University of Washington School of Nursing, a certificate in Maternal Child Health from the University of Washington School of Public Health, and a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Loyola University Chicago. She is author of nearly 50 peer-reviewed publications and more than 60 scholarly presentations. She is a 2020 recipient of the DePaul University Excellence in Teaching Award and principal investigator of the “Nursing During COVID-19” research team which recently received the 2023 Provost’s Award for Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Over the past 15 years, she has published on topics related to poverty including WIC program participation, food insecurity, perinatal mental health, the life course perspective and the built environment.
Brian Phelan,
Associate Professor and Driehaus Fellow
Driehaus College of Business
Brian Phelan is an Associate Professor and Driehaus Fellow in the Economics Department at DePaul University. He is also a Visiting Scholar at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and was previously a visiting scholar at the University of Chicago an affiliated scholar at the UC Berkeley Center for Wage and Employment Dynamics.
Professor Phelan’s research focuses on understanding trends and outcomes in the low-wage labor market as well as the efficacy of transfer programs for low-income households. One area where he has made significant contributions relates to understanding the extent and impact of technological substitution on low-wage workers. He is currently working on research exploring the ability of landlords to capture income transfers to low-income households.
Session Chair and Moderator:
Gabriella Bucci,
Associate Professor and Director, MS in Economics and Policy Analysis Program
Driehaus College of Business
Gabriella Bucci is an Associate Professor and Director of the MS in Economics and Quantitative Analysis in the Department of Economics in Driehaus College of Business. She has a diverse background in economics including academia and the federal government. Gabriella is a dedicated educator, a two-time winner of the Gus Economos Graduate Teaching Award and winner of the QIC Excellence in Teaching Award. She has conducted research on immigration, internal migration, and the impacts of workplace monitoring on employees.