L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs

The VCU L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs will host David Pate, PhD, for a lecture on community-engaged research, reentry and social policy.

Titled "Partnered Research as Process: Co-Producing Knowledge on Reentry in Milwaukee — The Reentry Rising Project," the lecture introduces Partnered Research as Process through the Reentry Rising Project, a five-year community-engaged initiative focused on reentry in Milwaukee. The talk explores the relational, adaptive and real-world challenges of building research in partnership with community organizations and individuals directly impacted by reentry and highlights the lessons, innovations and shared learning that emerge when scholars and communities work side by side.

David Pate, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the School of Human Ecology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison whose research examines poverty, social welfare policy and the lived experiences of Black men and families navigating systems of economic and social marginalization. His work uses qualitative methods to explore how social policy, legal systems and structural inequality shape life outcomes, with particular attention to fatherhood, economic security and community well-being.

This event is part of the Wilder School Doctoral Lecture Series, which brings leading scholars and practitioners to VCU to engage students, faculty and the broader community in critical conversations on public policy, governance and social impact.

This event is free and open to the public.