About

History

The Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity was developed in February 2005 as a joint effort between the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the UNC School of Law and Senator John Edwards. Sen. Edwards directed the center until December 2006. Professor Marion Crain was subsequently appointed as the new director, a position she held until June 2008. The third and current director, Professor Gene Nichol, came aboard in the fall of 2008.

Over the years, the center has held numerous conferences, panels and discussions, bringing together America's leading scholars and practitioners on poverty issues.

Selected Recent Projects & Initiatives

Truth and Hope Tour of Poverty in North Carolina

Current project to tour areas of the state severely affected by poverty and hear from families, local officials, and town leaders to "put a face" on the statistics and raise awareness about the depth of poverty in North Carolina.

Practicing Poverty Law in North Carolina

A conference to address the effect of the recession on the legal needs of low-income individuals and the common challenges that poverty law practitioners face in representing their clients.

A North Carolina Summit: Progress and Economic Justice in a Time of Crisis

A full-day conference that brought together policymakers, advocates, and leaders from the state and nation to explore the current depth of poverty in the state of North Carolina and how we must respond in current political and social atmosphere to address these concerns.

Poverty and Economic Justice Scholarship

A panel discussion moderated by Professor Nichol with three UNC professors discussing their academic scholarship and activism into important issues of economic justice.