Dr. Kathryn Edin

Biography

Kathryn Edin is a leading scholar in poverty research, serving as the Director of the Bendheim-Thoman Center for Research on Child and Family Wellbeing at Princeton University. She is known for her qualitative and mixed-method research, addressing critical issues faced by the urban poor. Her studies explore the challenges single mothers encounter while navigating welfare and employment, as well as the disengagement of fathers from their children's lives. Edin has published extensively, authoring eight books and over sixty journal articles. Her prominent work, '$2 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America,' co-authored with Luke Shaefer, received widespread acclaim and was named one of the New York Times 100 Notable Books of 2015. She has held significant positions, including trusteeship at the Russell Sage Foundation and membership in various prestigious networks focused on family and housing issues. Edin was elected to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in 2014 and has been a professor at several esteemed institutions, including Harvard University and Johns Hopkins University.

Research Interests