New policies established during the pandemic to aid low wage workers and families helped reduce material hardship and mental health problems, according to research by Dr. Anna Gassman-Pines from Duke University. Roberta Gassman was the deputy assistant secretary for Employment and Training in the U.S. Department of Labor under President Obama; Wisconsin’s secretary of the Department of Workforce Development in the cabinet of Governor Jim Doyle; and was a top policy advisor to Governor Tony Earl. The Roberta Gassman Distinguished Lecture series and Opportunity Fund was established when Roberta was honored with the school’s Distinguished Alumni Award in 2010 for her long-time work on equity and labor issues.