Past Conference
Diverse Economics Conference
People. Perspectives. Careers. Diversity in economics is critical to ensuring that the right questions are being asked, yet less than 25 percent of economists are people of color, and no more than 30 percent of career economists are women. For those studying economics (or related field) in college, the third annual DivEc conference is an opportunity to join a meaningful conversation about the diversity of people, perspectives and careers in the economics field.
During the three-day virtual DivEc conference, you will:
- Learn about the range of career opportunities you have after graduation
- Hear how personal experiences and perspectives have shaped economists’ careers
- Meet diverse economists who have taken different career paths
- Ask questions directly to experts in the field
- Network with fellow economics (or related field) students
- Learn about jobs at the Richmond Fed for economics majors
- Join in a continuing dialogue about diversity in economics on social media with the hashtag #DivEc21
The Richmond Fed is proud to host this event in partnership with Undergraduate Women in Economics and the Robins School of Business at the University of Richmond. Registration is free but required. The deadline to register is Friday, November 12. Registered participants will get an email with instructions on how to join the session.
Partners
Who Should Attend
Undergraduate college students
Speakers
Kartik B. Athreya
Peter Q. Blair
Eva de Francisco
Paige Shevlin
Tatyana Avilova
Urvi Neelakantan
Mehdi Beyhaghi
Larissa Campuzano
Lisa White
Alison Jakubek
Arushi Saksena
Robert Sharp
Arantxa Jarque
Laura Dawson Ullrich
Agenda
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Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2021
05:00 pm
Welcome
Kartik Athreya, Executive Vice President
Director of Research
Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond05:10 pmKeynote Speaker
Dr. Peter Q. Blair, Assistant Professor
Harvard Graduate School of Education05:50 pmDiverse Careers in Economics - Panel
Hear from seasoned professionals about their career journey and how the field of economics has evolved over time.Panelists
John O’Trakoun, Senior Policy Economist FRBR
Eva de Francisco, Economist BEA
Paige Shevlin, Director of Policy, Markle Foundation06:30 pmEconomics in Practice Breakout Sessions
Dig deeper into how economics can be used to answer complex questions and help solve important problems.Presenters
Urvi Neelakantan, Senior Policy Economist, Richmond Research
Mehdi Beyhaghi, Financial Economist, Richmond Supervision and Regulation
Larissa Campuzano, Principal Researcher, Mathematica07:20 pmClosing Remarks and Next Steps
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Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021
05:00 pm
Welcome
Lisa White, Executive Vice President
Director of Supervision, Regulation and Credit
Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond05:10 pmRecent Graduates – Where Are They Now? -Panel
Hear from diverse early career professionals on what it’s like to start a career in economics and get their practical advice for the journey.Panelists
Allison Jakubek, Supervisory Compliance Analyst, Kansas City Fed -
Robert Sharp, Data Analyst, UBER
Arushi Saksena, Sr. Analyst, Compass Lexecon05:50 pmThe Path of an Economist -Topics, Tools and Careers at the Fed
Get a glimpse of the day-to-day work of research economists and how they support the mission of the Federal Reserve. Learn how the Research Associate and summer internship programs at the Richmond Fed can prepare you for this work.
Arantxa Jarque, Sr. Policy Economist and Research Assistant Program Manager
06:30 pmThe Next Step – Getting Started With My Career Breakout sessions
Engage in this session to network with professionals and other conference attendees. You can ask questions and hear their advice on topics that might be weighing on your mind.Session 1 – Working as a Research Assistant
Session 2 – Getting a Master’s Degree
Session 3 – Entering a Ph.D. Program
Session 4 – Starting your career journey07:20 pmClosing Remarks and Next Steps
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Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021
10:00 am
The Future of the Workforce
Laura Ullrich, Regional Economist
Federal Reserve Bank of RichmondA discussion on how the labor market has changed during the pandemic and what changes might stick around in the future. She’ll explore topics such as labor shortages and wages, demographic changes to labor force participation rates, and how impacts from the pandemic vary by industry.
