Michelle M. Livermore

Michelle M. Livermore serves as the Janet D. & Hermann Moyse III Professor at Louisiana State University's School of Social Work within the College of Human Sciences & Education. Her research centers on low-resource populations through the lens of social development theory, examining how social and economic systems impact vulnerable communities.

Education:

• PhD in Sociology from Louisiana State University (2000)
• MSW in Social Work from Louisiana State University (1994)
• BA in Communication Sciences & Disorders from Louisiana State University (1991)

Research Focus: Dr. Livermore investigates the digital divide's impact on marginalized communities, analyzing how internet access functions as both opportunity and barrier. Her work spans alternative financial services, employment barriers, civic engagement among welfare recipients, community social capital formation, and inter-organizational collaboration. She employs advanced quantitative methods including cluster analysis to identify social capital profiles and policy impacts in low-wealth neighborhoods.

Publication Trends: Her 2014-2022 publications reveal consistent exploration of economic vulnerability through multiple lenses: digital inequality in organizational contexts (2022), school choice policy typologies (2021), alternative financial service impacts on well-being (2020), and civic engagement among benefit recipients (2019). Key methodological themes include cluster analysis applications and cross-sector collaboration studies.

Scientific Awards:

• No specific awards listed in source material

Research Funding: As Co-PI with Dr. Noha Mahmoud, secured $148,687 from the National Science Foundation (July 2020-December 2021) for the SCC-PG project examining how sharing economy platforms (Uber, Airbnb) can foster social capital and economic growth in Baton Rouge. This work directly addresses her research focus on economic opportunity structures in marginalized communities.

Research Infrastructure: The source material does not specify dedicated laboratories or formal research teams, though her NSF-funded project implies collaborative partnerships with community organizations in Baton Rouge focused on economic development initiatives.