Catherine Thomas is an assistant professor of psychology and of organizational studies at the University of Michigan. She integrates the insights of social psychology, lens of cultural psychology, and tools of behavioral science to examine and intervene upon psychosocial drivers of poverty and inequality in the U.S. and around the globe. In particular, her work interrogates relationships among agency, dignity, and economic mobility. In this work, she conducts lab and field experiments across diverse low-income contexts, including in the U.S., sub-Saharan Africa, and South Asia, and often through interdisciplinary collaborations and partnerships with nonprofits and governments. Her work has been published in journals including Nature and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and in media outlets including Time and Foreign Affairs.

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.