The Religion and Public Life Program hosted "Religion and Global Poverty" on October 29, 2015. RPLP director Elaine Howard Ecklund highlighted the importance of research in understanding the role of religion in eradicating poverty. She emphasized that solutions would be better informed with the power of research. Panelists included Elias Bongmba, professor of religion at Rice University; Evelyn Bush , associate professor of sociology at Fordham University; Rebecca Shah, research fellow at Georgetown University; and Jonathan Wiles, vice president for program excellence at Living Water International.