Contact: Sara Goldrick-Rab, (608) 265-2141
Innovative Laboratory Launches with Reception and Program Announcements
MADISON, WI— A $4 million grant program for Wisconsin college students was
among the announcements made at a reception for The Wisconsin HOPE Lab on
Monday, May 5. Educators, administrators, policymakers, civic leaders, students
and an interested public gathered at the Madison Public Library to celebrate the
Lab’s launch and get a first look at innovative research and collaborative programs
designed to help more students graduate from Wisconsin colleges and universities.
“The best weapon against fear is hope. We can and must do more to help these
students,” said Sara Goldrick-Rab, professor of Educational Policy Studies and
Sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who founded and directs
Wisconsin HOPE Lab. “My team is intent on identifying problems, opportunities,
and solutions. We are actively developing and evaluating interventions. Most
importantly, we are committed to sharing our findings with families, policymakers
and professionals.”
Julie Underwood, dean of the University of Wisconsin School of Education, spoke
at the reception and emphasized the value to students of the Lab’s programs and
research. The Lab also premiered a video that will be used to promote its efforts.
The Wisconsin HOPE Lab is the only laboratory in the United States dedicated
to translational research for improving equitable outcomes in postsecondary
education. Studies have shown that even as attendance at Wisconsin’s colleges
and universities grows, many students—especially those from low- and moderate-
income homes—are not graduating. In a time of budget constraints and concerns
about the state of education, this leaves many Wisconsin families fearful for their
future.
The Wisconsin HOPE Lab received a $2.5 million founding gift from the Great Lakes
Higher Education Guaranty Corporation (Great Lakes). “Our purpose in supporting
the Wisconsin HOPE Lab is to find new and effective ways to minimize barriers to
college completion, so more students reach their full potential,” said Richard George,
president and CEO of Great Lakes. “Think of it as leveling the playing field for at-risk
students.”
The Lab is housed within the UW-Madison School of Education and is overseen by
a board of directors from across Wisconsin. The Lab’s researchers have already
initiated many new partnerships, including with the Oneida Nation, the University of
Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the University of Wisconsin Colleges, the Boys and Girls
Club of Dane County, and Red Granite Correctional Facility. Their work is already
receiving national recognition: the Lab’s ongoing evaluation of Single Stop USA
was recently featured in the New York Times, Goldrick-Rab was invited to testify
before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, and in
April she received the Early Career Award from the American Educational Research
Association.
At the reception, Goldrick-Rab announced a National Science Foundation-backed
effort to examine how financial aid affects college choices, which will award up to
$4 million in grants to undergraduates at 11 Wisconsin colleges and universities.
The Lab is also launching a statewide undergraduate internship program, whose
first project will examine public perceptions of Wisconsin higher education, and
planning a workshop to bring together schools, community organizations and
philanthropists interested in better supporting students struggling with housing
and hunger in college.
For more information visit http://www.wihopelab.com.
