We are pleased to announce that Dr. Maryam Rafieifar (PI), alongside Dr. Hanna Haran and Dr. Jaclyn Kirsch (Co-PIs) and Ana Ponciano (Co-I/Fieldwork Lead), has received a Wolens Pilot Award to support innovative research on voluntary return migration—an increasingly common yet understudied experience shaping immigrant families. This project examines how Mexican immigrant families in the Dallas–Fort Worth area and rural Southern Mexico navigate return decisions, with a focus on motivations, preparedness, family communication, and well-being. The study will generate critical insights to inform policy and practice while laying the foundation for future externally funded research aimed at improving outcomes for families across transnational contexts.

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Eusebius Small (PI), alongside Dr. Scott Ryan and Dr. Michael Bennett (Co-PIs), has received a Wolens Pilot Award to support innovative research on implementing Kenya’s Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) in rural communities. Focusing on junior secondary schools in Busia County, this participatory, multi-phase study engages educators, youth, and community stakeholders to identify barriers and co-develop context-specific strategies to improve curriculum delivery, student engagement, and retention. Findings will inform scalable policy and practice solutions while generating critical data to support future external funding and long-term educational impact.