Dear Friends and Family of IERE,We are very excited to announce the search for a new director has been successful. Dean David Weil announced Maria Madison, currently the Associate Dean for Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity, will succeed Tom Shapiro as the Director of IERE (formerly IASP), starting on September 1st, 2020.
Maria brings over 20 years of experience in evidence-based research and management. During her tenure as Associate Dean, she started and led interdisciplinary partnerships within Heller and beyond and will bring a strong collaborative lens to IERE. “Through her experience in leading the diversity, inclusion, and equity work at the Heller School, Dr. Madison brings the ideal background to championing our work on racial justice and equity to its next iteration and leading the doctoral concentration in Assets and Inequalities,” said Associate Director of IERE, Tatjana Meschede.
Maria’s work researching the physical and emotional health effects of inequity and racism and her history of advocacy and community engagement will lend continuity to the vision and mission of IERE. When asked about the leadership transition, Jessica Santos, Director of Community-Engaged Research said, “We are thrilled that Maria will bring her public health expertise to the team and excited to build on the deep community-engaged research that we are already doing.”
Over the last two months, Maria has been meeting and working with the IERE to build a strong succession plan and develop a shared vision of IERE’s future. We will continue to produce high-quality research that furthers racial equity, and we will continue to search for the policy levers and direct interventions that lead to the growth of financial and non-financial assets in marginalized communities across our country. With Maria on our team, IERE will be able to add the lens of public health to grow our work investigating and developing solutions for health inequities.
“We are thrilled that Dr. Madison is taking the reins of the Institute on Assets and Social Policy,” said Tom Shapiro, who will continue to be a vital member of the team. Even as he steps back from the administrative duties of the directorship, he will continue to lead grants and offer mentorship to students.
The last year has been an incredible growth period for IERE. We have embarked on new, exciting projects studying predatory lending, opportunity pathways, student debt, and more. We started the IERE Lab blog, where staff and students can share their views. Now, we are thrilled to begin a new chapter as an organization. Over the next year, you can look forward to more exciting news, including a new name.
Please join us in welcoming Dr. Maria Madison.