Staff
Gene Nichol
Professor of Law and Director of the Center on Poverty, Work & Opportunity
919.962.5928
gnichol@email.unc.edu
Gene Nichol is professor of law and Director of the Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity at the University of North Carolina. He teaches courses in constitutional law, federal courts, civil rights and election law.
Read a complete profile of Gene Nichol.
Joe Polich
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
919.445.0181
As a Navy brat, Joe grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, on the Adriatic Sea in Italy, and in the highlands of Scotland before coming back Stateside to finish growing up in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. While there Joe fell in love with North Carolina's coasts, swamps, piedmont, hills, mountains, and most of all its people. After graduating from Northeastern High School in Elizabeth City, Joe attended UNC-Chapel Hill as a Morehead Scholar and, among other things, studied psychology, found out he wasn't as good at soccer as he thought, and made great friends.
After graduation, Joe worked for a year round camp/big brother program for boys from low-income, single-parent families in New Hampshire. When Joe returned to the Tar Heel State, he attended UNC-Chapel Hill again, attaining his M.S.W. and J.D. in order to better prepare him to serve the people of North Carolina, especially those who are living in poverty. In his spare time, Joe likes gardening, talking to strangers, playing basketball, visiting his sister, and running at a laughably slow pace.
Mary Irvine
Program Associate
919.445.0182
Mary grew up in Hopkinton, MA but moved to Cramerton, NC (outside
of Charlotte) in 1996 and has been a North Carolinian ever since. Mary
received both her undergraduate degree in Sociology and Spanish and her
law degree from UNC-Chapel Hill. Mary enjoys
spending time outdoors, travel, cooking, baking, and being trained by her new puppy, Joey.