Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University

06/02/2026

On April 29, the U.S. Supreme Court narrowed a section of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 meant to protect minorities’ political and voting power. In her dissent, Justice Elena Kagan called the court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais the “latest chapter in the majority's now-completed demolition of the Voting Rights Act.”

The decision struck down Louisiana's current congressional map, in which two of six districts were majority-Black, as an “unconstitutional racial gerrymander.” According to the last census, nearly one-third of Louisiana’s population is Black, but the ruling forces the state to revert to a map with only one majority-Black district.

For IPR economist and legal scholar Chika Okafor, the ruling raises a more fundamental question his research seeks to answer.

“Do colorblind rules actually produce fairness?” Okafor asked the audience during his IPR colloquium on May 11.

No, according to Okafor's research on social network discrimination—a concept he originated and demonstrated mathematically.

Read more: https://www.ipr.northwestern.edu/news/2026/louisiana-v-callais-a-lock-without-a-key.html

05/27/2026

IPR economist Charles F. Manski has spent a large portion of his career untangling how best to measure scientific uncertainty—in particular, what he has called “incredible certitude” or conclusions drawn from data that lack firm empirical support. He has applied that understanding to policy analysis, from education and health to labor markets and social programs.

In recognition of this pioneering work, the BBVA Foundation awarded him its Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Economics, Finance, and Management.

Manski was one of nine awardees in the 18th edition across eight scientific and cultural fields, including economics, management, finance, and the humanities.

Read more here: https://www.ipr.northwestern.edu/news/2026/charles-manski-recognized-for-work-in-deep-uncertainty.html

05/22/2026

Congratulations to IPR social policy expert Sally Nuamah, who received two major international awards!

Nuamah is setting out on a three-year journey as one of 118 Young Global Leaders selected by the World Economic Forum. The program of collaboration and exchange with the other awardees recognizes her innovative scholarship and global leadership potential.

She also received a prestigious 2026 Bellagio Center residency from the Rockefeller Foundation and will spend nearly a month on the shores of Italy’s Lake Como, examining African cultural production, sovereignty, and partisanship, as well as networking and collaborating with her fellow residents.

Her award‑winning books reveal how inequalities in education and public institutions undermine civic engagement, particularly for Black communities. Through these fellowships, she will collaborate with global leaders across a variety of fields to inform solutions to pressing democratic and social challenges. Read more here: https://www.ipr.northwestern.edu/news/2026/sally-nuamah-leading-for-the-future.html

05/11/2026

TODAY: Join us in Chambers Hall at noon for a talk by IPR economist and legal scholar Chika Okafor on “Beyond Malice, It’s Math: Social Network Discrimination and Voting Rights After Louisiana v. Callais.” http://spr.ly/6182BBYVLe

05/07/2026

Join us in Chambers Hall on Monday at noon for a talk by IPR economist and legal scholar Chika Okafor on “Beyond Malice, It’s Math: Social Network Discrimination and Voting Rights After Louisiana v. Callais.” http://spr.ly/6182BBYVLe

05/06/2026

How does the world we live in get written into our bodies?

Join IPR Visiting Scholar Bridget Goosby, a professor of sociology at The University of Texas at Austin, for an in-person talk on May 18 exploring her research on the social factors driving health disparities. Register here:

Join us for a talk by Bridget Goosby on “Pushing the Boundaries: Understanding Health Inequities through a Biosocial Lens.“

05/05/2026

Journalists and scholars may speak different languages, but a recent IPR/Medill - Northwestern University panel made the case that they need each other now more than ever.

Moderated by IPR Associate Director Laurel Harbridge-Yong, the discussion featured Medill Dean Charles Whitaker and faculty Louise Kiernan and Natalie Moore sharing hard-won advice on how researchers can get their findings out there: Don’t wait to be found. Write op-eds, build relationships with reporters, and yes, maybe even start that YouTube channel.

Read more: http://spr.ly/6183BBd9XN

05/04/2026

Join us in Chambers Hall today at noon for a talk by Mesmin Destin on “The Distinct Benefits of Connecting Through Shared and Divergent Experiences for Marginalized Students.” http://spr.ly/6184BBw8E8

05/01/2026

Thousands of L.A. fast food workers are victims of wage theft. On International Workers’ Day, revisit a report by Northwestern University's Daniel Galvin and Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations - SMLR's Jake Barnes which points to educating workers about their rights as a solution. http://spr.ly/6181LkjBW

04/29/2026

When drought hits, the effects go beyond crops. IPR sociologist Julia Behrman finds that economic hardship caused by extreme drought and rainfall drives women in Malawi to marry and have children at younger ages.

Climate change has implications for everything from immigration to agricultural policy, but its most immediate impact is on the daily lives of people experiencing its effects. In a recent working paper, IPR sociologist Julia Behrman has turned her attention to how extreme drought and rainfall affect...