Social Investment Is Focus of Economic Discussion at Scranton

      “Social Investment: New possibilities for business and philanthropy” will be the topic of The University of Scranton’s spring Henry George Lecture by Jonathan Morduch, Ph.D., professor of public policy and economics at the New York University Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. The May 6 lecture will begin at 4 p.m. in the Pearn Auditorium of Brennan Hall. It is free of charge and open to the public.

      The co-author of Portfolios of the Poor: How the World’s Poor Live on $2 a Day and The Economics of Microfinance, Dr. Morduch’s current research focuses on microfinance, social investment and the economics of poverty. He also serves as managing director and lead researcher for the Financial Access Initiative, which is a consortium of development economists focused on financial inclusion.

      Dr. Morduch earned a bachelor’s degree from Brown University and a doctorate in economics from Harvard University. Previously, he served as a member of the economics faculty at Harvard University and has held visiting faculty positions at Stanford University, Princeton University and the University of Tokyo.  

      The annual spring Henry George program is sponsored by the Economics and Finance Department at The University of Scranton and the Xi chapter of the International Economics Honor Society. Henry George was a 19th-century American economist and social reformer with a special interest in justice issues.  

      For additional information about the Henry George program, call The University of Scranton at 941-4048.