Urban and Public Policy
Centers and Institutes
The Kitty and Michael Dukakis Center for Urban and Regional Policy (DCURP)
Director: Barry Bluestone, Russell B. and Andrée B. Stearns Trustee Professor of Political Economy
Founded in 1999 as the Center for Urban and Regional Policy or CURP, the Dukakis Center is equally committed to producing state-of-the-art applied research and to implementing effective policies and practices based on that research.
As a "think and do" tank, the Dukakis Center's collaborative research and problem-solving model applies powerful data analysis, multidisciplinary research and evaluation techniques, and a policy-driven perspective to address a wide range of issues facing cities, towns, and suburbs, with a particular emphasis on the greater Boston region. The Dukakis Center works to catalyze broad-based efforts to solve urban problems, acting as both a convener and a trusted and committed partner to local, state, and national agencies and organizations. The Dukakis Center is a program of Northeastern University's innovative School of Social Sciences, Urban Affairs and Public Policy and is lead by the school's Dean, Barry Bluestone. The Dukakis Center staff includes Associate Director (Programming) Stephanie Pollack, Associate Director (Administration and Finance) Heather Seligman and a robust team of research associates and partners.
Institute on Urban Health Research
Director: Hortensia Amaro, Distinguished Professor of Counseling and Applied Psychology
The IUHR’s seven faculty, three graduate fellows and nine research staff are focusing research on health issues that disproportionately impact urban communities, such as substance abuse, HIV/AIDS prevention and policy, interventions for children diagnosed with asthma, cardiovascular disease behavioral interventions, nutrition behavioral interventions with school age children, traditional Chinese health practices, racial and ethnic differences in service delivery patterns, and brain mechanisms involved in opiate tolerance. The goal of the IUHR is to improve the health of urban populations through the generation of knowledge that informs health policies, disease prevention programs and health services. In its first year of funding, the IUHR received more than $1.4 million in research and training grants and has partnered with the Boston Public Health Commission, Massachusetts Department of Public Health and community health centers. In addition to these agencies, the IUHR’s Advisory Board includes representation from Partners Health Care, Boston Public Schools, Blue Cross/Blue Shield as well as nationally renowned scholars from diverse institutions throughout the country. Founded in 2002.