‘If you can keep it’: Cornell scholars tackle democracy’s modern threats
From the early days of Cornell’s founding to the present, scholars have studied the idea and the practice of democracy.
The Center for the Study of Inequality (CSI) serves as the intellectual hub for inequality scholarship and research at Cornell. It supports research and knowledge that is evidence-based and systematic, whether it is “basic” research that develops formal models of the social processes that underpin inequality or “applied” research that assesses the intended or unintended consequences of policies that affect equality of opportunity.
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Isabel Perera’s ‘The Welfare Workforce’ honored with two book prizes
Cornell College of Arts and Sciences professor Isabel M. Perera won the Charles H. Levine Memorial Book Prize and the 2026 European Studies Book Award for “The Welfare Workforce.” Her book examines disparities in mental health care policy.
Humanities students take D.C. trip to advocate for funding
Cornell University Humanities Scholars traveled to Washington, D.C. to advocate for increased National Endowment for the Humanities and National Archives funding, meeting with congressional offices to highlight the impact of humanities programs on education. Their two‑day trip underscored how federal support strengthens community partnerships, language programs, and public humanities initiatives benefiting campuses and local organizations…
SNAP benefit lapse: U.S. ‘officially losing’ war on poverty
The loss of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits November 1 if the government shutdown holds benefits will have profound repercussions for democracy, says government scholar Jamila Michener.
How rural vs urban polarization can be repaired
The study by Cornell government scholars Suzanne Mettler and Trevor Brown spans five decades and includes every U.S. county.
Those most willing to address health disparities tend to be overlooked
Cornell researchers found that by prioritizing the perspectives of white Americans instead of those from underrepresented groups, studies of pandemic disparities likely missed important insights from those most affected by COVID-19.
Student spotlight: Haowen Zheng
Haowen Zheng, a doctoral candidate in sociology from Zibo, China, now studies why people move long distances within a country and how those moves shape their lives.
Cook-Gray Lecture will examine transformative labor movement
Annelise Orleck, Dartmouth College, will deliver the 2025 Alice Cook-Lois Gray Distinguished Lecture on April 15: “Poverty Wages, 'We're Not Lovin' It': Gender, Race and Inequality Rising in the 21st Century.”
Advancing research for the future
In 2016, CSI was honored to have received a 10 million dollar grant from The Atlantic Philanthropies, created by Charles F. Feeney ’56. The funding was designated to advance inequality research at Cornell University. Read the full story here.