Avi Moorthy Wins William Julius Wilson Research Award

Stone PhD Scholar Avi Moorthy, who is graduating with a PhD in Public Policy, won the 2026 William Julius Wilson Research Award at HKS Class Day on May 27, 2026. The award is given by the Malcolm Wiener Center for Social Policy in recognition of an outstanding research paper written on a topic that William Julius Wilson’s academic research addressed, including racial inequality, poverty, unemployment, and segregation. The award was presented by Gordon Hanson, Peter Wertheim Professor in Urban Policy and Academic Dean for Strategy and Engagement. To read a profile of Avi and his research, click here.

This award honors the scholarship and research of Stone Program faculty affiliate William Julius Wilson, Lewis P. and Linda L. Geyser University Professor, Emeritus at Harvard University, who was the founder and Director of the Malcolm Wiener Center’s Joblessness and Urban Poverty Research Program. The program’s research sought to advance understanding of the causes and consequences of chronic disadvantage among low-income families living in urban neighborhoods.

Click below to watch Avi present his award-winning research, "The Defender on the Move: Black Newspapers and the Great Migration," at the 2026 Stone Scholar Symposium.