Development Economics

In this episode, development economist Professor Rebecca Thornton opens a window into global-poverty solutions through the lens of rigorous field experiments in Nepal. Her pioneering work was originally shared with Notre Dame’s Poverty Research Fellows–a passionate cohort of undergraduates dedicated to wielding rigorous, evidence-based research to uncover lasting pathways out of poverty. By grounding her work in local communities, Professor Thornton demonstrates how data-driven evidence can burst through prevailing opinions and biases–revealing the true nature of the challenges we must solve. 

RECORDING COMING SOON!

Poverty Research From Every Angle highlights Notre Dame faculty from across the University leading the charge. This approach is critical because poverty is never a single problem with a single solution–it is a complex web of interconnected challenges spanning health, education, the environment, and our legal systems. No single discipline holds the entire picture, but each illuminates something the others cannot see alone. Over the course of this series, you will see how Notre Dame’s brightest minds are bridging these fields, sharing impactful research, and collaborating to build real, lasting paths out of poverty.

To learn more about the work of Notre Dame’s Poverty Initiative, please visit their website. Register for the Poverty Initiative’s email newsletter here.