“My research to date has focused on how differences in housing conditions, benefit policies and contextual factors affect the health and well-being of families in the United States. This focus on housing is grounded in the recognition that this essential resource is imperative in securing wellness. This is particularly the case for low-income families who contend with relatively high unemployment rates, often tight rental housing markets, aging housing stock of poor quality, high rates of incarceration and complex family structures. Understanding how these various structural and dynamic forces affect housing stability and health undergird this work. Contextual factors often vary dramatically across race/ethnicity and location, necessitating careful modeling of structural factors associated with health outcomes. Current research using the Wisconsin Administrative Data Core and data from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) explores the role of housing assistance on adult and child well-being. I teach lecture and community learning courses on social policy, poverty, and homelessness in the US.
I would like to expand my research to think about and contribute to the development of Gabon. Over the course of several years and culminating in a trip in 2024, I have come to know researchers, scientists, teachers, entrepreneurs, farmers, local administrators, villagers and students in Gabon. Issues of food security, food sovereignty, housing, and broader development in Gabon and the Congo River Basin were identified as key areas to move forward. The importance of the forest in Gabon cannot be overstated, while the issues of domestic food security are related to land use, rural development and a mismatch between population centers and farmable land. This trip also put me in connection with the Benga people who are seeking collaborators with knowledge and interests in language, history and the arts to tell the Benga’s stories of migration and history directly. The concern for the Benga people is that the language, rituals and stories will be lost or left only with colonial vestiges from western missionaries improperly characterizing a people. I can make any introductions to linguists, artists and others who are interested in working with the Benga leadership. I have spent the past 6 months or so compiling various contacts across many different sectors in Gabon and I would love to facilitate any possible collaborations. I am happy to be a part of this community, find research collaborators and learn.”