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This spring Howard became a bustling hub for emerging scholars dedicated to tackling the nation’s most pressing socioeconomic challenges. The 2026 Graduate Student Research Workshop on Poverty and Economic Mobility brought together a highly competitive cohort of 16 doctoral students from universities across the United States. Led by Howard University’s Center on Race and Wealth (CRW) alongside the Institute for Research on Poverty (IRP) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, the week-long program targeted pre-proposal stage doctoral students. The program was intentionally designed for students from underrepresented groups in academia and the social sciences whose research zeroes in on poverty, inequality, and economic mobility. The shared mission of the attendees was to develop policy-relevant, actionable research capable of directly informing human services and anti-poverty policies.

The demand for this specialized, intensive training is immense. Recruitment efforts leverage the expansive networks of the CRW, the IRP, and successful alumni of the training program. These broad networking strategies consistently generate a highly competitive pool, with approximately 70 applicants vying for just 16 workshop positions each year.

At the heart of the workshop lies its rigorous and deeply personal mentorship model. Throughout the week, students engaged in mentor-led lectures, panel discussions, and collaborative learning activities. Each student was paired with a faculty mentor, engaging in both individual consultations and small-group meetings to refine their research questions, strengthen their methodological approaches, and advance their dissertation planning. Furthermore, participants expanded their professional development by taking part in a mentoring session at the Research and Evaluation Conference on Self-Sufficiency (RECS) in Washington, D.C.. This guidance extends well beyond the five-day event, with students retaining access to their mentors throughout the summer, often developing lifelong professional relationships that support them through their doctoral studies and into their careers.

Veteran mentors—such as Dr. David Pate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who holds the title of longest-serving mentor—work alongside dedicated Howard University faculty including Drs. Kenneth Anderson, Rodney Green, Haydar Kurban, Celeste Mallone, Debra Roberts, and Keisha Solomon. Program directors Drs. Janet Griffin Graves and Brooke McKie have been instrumental in shaping this collaborative initiative. 

"The Summer Institute provided us [mentors] with a unique opportunity to collaborate in inspiring and challenging first-generation doctoral students to become their best scholarly selves. It was an immensely rewarding experience to work alongside colleagues at Howard University on an initiative whose impact extends far beyond individual participants. By supporting these emerging scholars in their pursuit of knowledge across diverse disciplines, the program contributes to the advancement of scholarship and the betterment of our nation," says Pate.

Since its inaugural run in 2017, the workshop has proven to be a formidable launching pad for young academics. To date, 126 pre-dissertation PhD students have attended the workshop, and roughly a quarter of these participants have already completed their doctoral degrees. Sixteen alumni have successfully secured faculty positions at prestigious institutions like Boston College, Furman University, the University of Georgia, Georgetown, and Penn State. Four others have landed impactful roles in government and research firms, including the National Institutes of Health, Abt Associates, and Research Triangle Institute International. A mentor was overhead saying, "One of the quiet joys of mentoring is watching students begin to recognize the strengths, questions, and possibilities that were within them all along."

"The workshop was extremely helpful in helping me organize and further develop my ideas from a research perspective. It was also a very enriching space where we could learn from each other’s experiences and advice, engage in meaningful discussions, and receive valuable feedback from a room full of brilliant professors and fellows from different disciplines. I feel very grateful to have had the opportunity to share this space with scholars who are equally committed to produce meaningful research that addresses the needs and experiences of underserved populations," says Digna Paola Mosquera Cuesta, PhD student at Howard.

The 2026 workshop marked the eighth and final year of funding provided by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. However, the CRW and IRP are actively exploring new funding opportunities to ensure this vital professional development program continues. With emerging scholars like Digna Mosquera from Howard University and Dexter Horne from the University of Kentucky stepping forward, the future of economic mobility research remains incredibly promising.