Visiting Poverty Scholars Program

The IRP Visiting Poverty Scholars Program has two aims: to support research by U.S.-based poverty scholars from groups that are underrepresented in academia, and to enhance resources and networks available to these scholars.

Applicants may choose to visit IRP or any one of its Collaborative of Poverty Centers partners for one week to become acquainted with resident faculty, staff, and resources and present a seminar.

See profiles of current and past scholars below.

Note: Program was formerly called Scholars-In-Residence. 

View the 2024 Visiting Poverty Scholars Program Informational Webinar | Presentation Slides

2023–2024 Visiting Poverty Scholars

Mariana Amorim

Mariana Amorim is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Washington State University.  Her work sheds light on the role of public, private, and “shadow” safety nets in promoting the well-being of parents and children during an era of increasing family complexity and economic inequality.

Zibei Chen

Zibei Chen is an Assistant Professor at the University of Tennessee Knoxville College of Social Work. She is a poverty scholar with a research agenda centered on understanding causes and consequences of living in a fringe economy and developing evidence-based interventions that promote financial capability and economic prosperity among the poor, racial minorities, and other financially disenfranchised groups. Her current research projects include investigating the role of income volatility in using alternative financial services, examining the impact of financial stability and asset building programs, and exploring the intersection of finance and health with a particular focus on the roles of race and class.

Chen is visiting the Stanford Center on Poverty and Inequality at Stanford University.

X: @Zibei1 | @utkcsw

Rene Crespin

Rene Crespin, Ph.D., is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Economics at Michigan State University. His research focuses on examining levers that lessen or exacerbate inequality, specifically in terms of schools, housing, and neighborhoods. Among his ongoing projects, he studies the economic and social impacts of education and immigration policies.

Crespin is visiting the Center for Poverty & Inequality Research at the University of California, Davis.

X: @Crespin_Rene | @MSUEconomics

Qiana Cryer-Coupet

Qiana Cryer-Coupet, Ph.D., is Associate professor of Social Work in the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University. Her program of research explores drivers of health and wellness among fathers and the impacts of father involvement and engagement on child, caregiver, and community well-being.

Cryer-Coupet is visiting the Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

X: @qcryercoupet