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

Poverty Awareness Week A student-organized week of events spotlighting local poverty and homelessness featuring speakers, workshops, films, fundraisers and other events.

Access to Justice in North Carolina - A conference that brought together leaders from the state and national access to justice movement to explore ways to provide counsel for people of low and modest income who cannot afford representation in civil cases.

Poverty and Recession in North Carolina: Challenges and Opportunities A full-day conference exploring the issues of domestic poverty within the context of the economy.

Immigration Panel - A panel discussion designed to look at the consequences of a program that permits local law enforcement to act as immigration agents.