Ron Liebowitz
The South Street Seminar gives us the chance to celebrate the distinct qualities of a Brandeis education, which rests on exactly the type of work done by Dr. Mitra, integrating the cutting edge work done by her faculty and researchers, together with extraordinary learning opportunities for our students. Tonight, we are especially pleased to be able to showcase these distinct qualities with all of you.
Monika Mitra
Mentoring the next generation of disability leaders who will advance disability policy will ensure that the mission of the Lurie Institute will be realized for years to come. And now you will hear from our five outstanding students who are working on research projects ranging from the disparate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the opioid epidemic on people with disabilities, the barriers to civic engagement faced by disabled people, and finally how algorithmic biases impact employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
Gabrielle Katz
Not having a disability and having privilege, it is my job to take a step back with my voice and find ways to uplift the voices of others. I knew there was a better approach to research and I knew the Heller School and the Lurie Institute was a place where I could learn those skills and get support in generating impactful research. It's an honor to work for an institution that understands each person in our country as first and foremost a person, not a Medicaid recipient or any other label, but a person. And everyone has a unique set of goals they want for their life. Health policy research should always have this at the center. Now, I feel like I'm finally getting to work on finding ways to support the autonomy of people with disabilities, as well as older adults, and amplify their crucial voice. Brandeis, the Heller School and the Lurie Institute are at the forefront of empowering and lifting the voices of those who need it most, and I am forever thankful to be here and have the tools to support these issues.
Michael Atkins
Lurie has given me the opportunity to do real work. Examining the intersection between research and policy, and ensuring that the voice of people with disabilities are at the center of our work. Because of the mentorship from researchers like Sandy Ho and Joe Caldwell, I've been provided with opportunities I never thought would be possible at the undergraduate level: opportunities to impact federal policy, to fight to ensure that Congress' next COVID relief bill and healthcare bills include the voices of the disability community, and include resources essential for home and community based services.
Sandy Ho
I recognize that my relationship to the disability community has included being a young disabled woman, activist, disability policy researcher, and public policy student. Each perspective has added to the ways I respond to the challenges the disability community experiences. I am drawn to Lurie's research work because stories and perspectives on disability are being told through research in ways that resonate with the disability community. As a Master's in Public Policy student, Brandeis' legacy of social justice is evident in our classroom discussions and in our reading. Lurie's approach directly involves disabled people in the process, and in essence captures the spirit of the disabilities civil rights motto: "Nothing about us, without us." This is what makes Lurie a unique place to me. Because we are not just doing research and presenting findings, we are telling stories that bring people together who might not otherwise ever be in the same room.
Kartik Trivedi
At the Lurie Institute, I found my match. People here helped me expand my understanding of disability policy through opportunities for real world research. I've worked on federally funded research projects that helped me appreciate the relationship between research and policy outcomes. It is here that I'm encouraged to center my work around social justice. It is here where I'm supported by mentors to think freely. And it is here where my colleagues embolden me to be honest and be fearless with my dreams.
Zoe Pringle
As a person with a disability, I knew that I wanted to focus on disability studies in college, but I always assumed it would just be for personal fulfillment and I never expected my disability to shape my academics at Brandeis so much. I became aware of the history of the disability rights movement and the development of disability policy, as well as policies and service systems that support and exacerbate disparities in people with disabilities in the United States. Monika and Sandy really encouraged me to apply for the Lurie Undergraduate Fellowship Program, which I'm eternally grateful for. I started the fellowship this August and will be working as a fellow with a group of five other undergraduates, learning about qualitative and quantitative research methods and my knowledge of disability policy through direct research experience. Accessibility is a major part of the work Lurie does and it's vital that we include people with disabilities in our solution building, as well as our research, which is why projects like workshopping are so important. It's values like this that make me proud to be learning from the Lurie Institute and they give me unique perspectives and insights, especially about my own identities as I progress into my career.