James M. Quane has served as the associate director of the Joblessness and Urban Poverty Research Program since its inception. Prior to that he was the Associate Director of the Center for the Study of Urban Inequality at the University of Chicago. He received his PhD in sociology from the University of Akron in 1992 and spent several years in the public sector as a program evaluator, grants manager, and administrator before returning to academia. His main research interests include the study of concentrated poverty, especially as it relates to the impact on youth in disadvantaged neighborhoods and understanding the role of involuntary part-time work among the underemployed. His work has appeared in Family Relations, Social Problems, Social Forces and Social Services Review as well as other professional outlets.
In addition to his research and administrative activities, Quane’s work with the Joblessness and Urban Poverty Research Program includes advising nonprofits and policymakers around the design, implementation, and evaluation of social programs targeting the poor. He also assists with the translation of research findings into actionable practices. He co-teaches a graduate-level seminar with William Julius Wilson on “Social Structure and Culture in the Study of Race and Urban Poverty.”
Victoria Asbury (Research Assistant) is a doctoral student in sociology. Her research explores ways in which micro-level processes influence access to social and economic resources. In 2011, she graduated with a BA in African & African American Studies with honors from Stanford University and a MA in Policy, Organization, and Leadership Studies from Stanford Graduate School of Education. Prior to graduate school, Victoria worked at MSNBC where she booked hundreds of guests for cable news programs and produced dozens of segments focused on inequality and marginalized communities.
Edward Walker (forthcoming)