Kess Ballentine is an assistant professor at Wayne State University School of Social Work and a research affiliate with Labor@Wayne, Detroit PEER, and the Center for Gender and Sexuality. Drawing on professional experience in child welfare, labor organizing, and social services, her community-engaged research examines how labor policy and working conditions shape the well-being of low-wage workers and their families. Her work on job quality, unionization, and workplace policy has informed municipal policy in Detroit, been featured in national media, and been published in leading journals, including Health Affairs and Social Services Review.

The Real-World Perspectives on Poverty Solutions speaker series is free and open to the public as well as being a one-credit course for U-M students (SW503). In-person talks include coffee, cookies, and the chance to ask the speakers questions, or you can watch the livestream on YouTube.

This event is co-sponsored by U-M's Center for Innovation in Detroit.