Forging Connections: Visiting Scholar Andrea Pietrolucci

Jul 18, 2022

CID engages with researchers from all over the world, such as visiting scholar Andrea Pietrolucci, who joined CID from March-May 2022. Andrea visited from the University of Trento, Italy where he is in the doctoral program pursuing his Ph.D. in sociology and social research.

 “My supervisor, Marco Albertini, knows Fabian, and is familiar with his work, so he mentioned that it was a possibility to make a visit here,” Andrea explained.

“Wealth inequality is my main area of study, and for me, CID was the best place in the world to really focus on this topic,” he noted. “The University of Michigan is a prestigious institution, and I was lucky that my supervisor had this link with Fabian.”

In his time at U-M, Andrea has continued to research the role of parental wealth in enhancing children’s educational and occupational opportunities. Andrea said he was drawn to U-M in particular for the rich datasets available here, including the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID). During his stay, Andrea was able to produce some of the empirical results that form part of his dissertation project and that underline the important role of wealth in the intergenerational transmission of inequality.

“I loved my time in Ann Arbor,” said Andrea. CID’s writing retreats and monthly lab meetings have been two of his favorite parts of the experience: “The writing retreats were a really different way of engaging in research, with everyone working together while pursuing different objectives,” he said. “Being able to talk through questions, get feedback, and also see what everyone was working on was so helpful. It was also really wonderful to work with different people as a group, especially after the isolation of the pandemic.”

In his months in Ann Arbor, Andrea was able to attend several monthly lab meetings as well. “I like the lab meeting because it allows us to present work in progress,” he said. It is more common to receive feedback on a more polished paper or project, and CID’s model allows community members to receive feedback and comments on a research question that’s often still being formed.

“The environment and climate is so helpful and welcoming, it really makes a difference in the collaborations and relationships I’ve been able to experience and build,” he said. 

Learn more about Andrea.

An image of visiting scholar Andrea Pietrolucci as he works in the CID lab
 

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