Nearly 30 faculty members and postdoctoral researchers from Syracuse University, along with national experts on the wealth gap, gathered in New York City for a two-day event organized by the Lender Center for Social Justice. The event is part of an ongoing series supported by a $2.7 million grant from MetLife Foundation.
The gathering focused on sharing resources and building knowledge about the root causes of the wealth gap in America. Participants also discussed innovative ideas to address this issue, according to Kendall Phillips, director of the Lender Center and professor of communication and rhetorical studies at Syracuse University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts.
“In New York, we centered on the need to think about the issue from multiple perspectives and look at systems that provide access to all kinds of resources—corporate systems, information and culture systems, those that provide access to health and wellness and those that offer economic mobility opportunities,” said Phillips.
Members of the Lender Center Wealth Gap Thought Leader Advisory Group who took part included Marcelle Haddix, co-founder of the Lender Center; Pablo Mitnik from the University of Michigan; dt ogilvie, former dean at Rochester Institute of Technology; Gregory Price from the University of New Orleans; Blane Ruschak, president of The PhD Project; and Thomas M. Shapiro from Brandeis University.
Kendall Phillips was among those presenting research at this latest community-based convening on wealth inequality. Other similar events have previously been held in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Syracuse, and Washington, D.C.
Seyeon Lee, former Lender Center Faculty Fellow and assistant professor in design at Syracuse’s College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA), spoke about how design approaches can influence social equity through buildings and community spaces.
Whitman School faculty Willie Reddic and Susan Albring shared their research during a public roundtable titled “Mapping Communities of Opportunities.” Other panelists included Kira Reed, Seyeon Lee, Brice Nordquist, Rochelle Royster, and Kendall Phillips.
Additional attendees included Lynn Brann (chair of nutrition/food studies/exercise science) and Rachel Razza (associate dean), who joined Marcelle Haddix. Pablo Mitnik chaired a panel on “Corporate Systems” alongside Gary Girzadas (Syracuse executive director for foundation relations) and Charlie Pettigrew (MetLife Foundation Director).
LaVerne Gray from Syracuse’s School of Information Studies discussed issues with Gregory Price. They were joined by Abigail Tick ’22—a former student fellow now working as a grant writer for Open Space Institute in Brooklyn.
Other participants included Arielle Newman (assistant professor at Whitman), postdoctoral fellows Mauricio Mercados and J Coley, Blane Ruschak (The PhD Project), Jonnell Robinson (Maxwell School), Erasmo Giamboda (Whitman School), Karac Aral (Whitman School), Corri Zoli (Lender Center Faculty Research Fellow), Susan Albring (Whitman School), Seyeon Lee (VPA), Rochelle Royster (VPA), Kira Reed (Whitman School), Brice Nordquist (College of Arts & Sciences), Willie Reddic (Whitman School) and Kendall Phillips.
