2026 Institute Research Conference

October 8, 2026
Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
9:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. CT

We hope you can join us on October 8 for the Opportunity & Inclusive Growth Institute’s annual research conference. These events showcase the range of frontier-style research that the Institute engages with and supports. Presenters, discussants, and attendees will engage in a broad scholarly exchange of ideas around presented papers.

Lunch will be provided. A reception will follow the day’s presentations.

The conference organizer is Amanda Michaud, and this year’s program committee members are Francesco Agostinelli, Alex Albright, Marcus Casey, Amanda Michaud, Makoto Nakajima, Emi Nakamura, and Fang Yang.

Agenda 
(Central Time)

9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Registration and breakfast

9:30 a.m. – 9:40 a.m. Welcome

9:40 a.m. – 10:20 a.m. Keynote remarks and fireside chat
Congressional Budget Office Director Phillip Swagel in conversation with Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari

10:30 a.m. – 11:25 a.m. The Long-Term Decline of the U.S. Job Ladder
Presenter: Niklas Engbom, New York University
Discussant: Stephanie Aaronson, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System

11:35 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. A Family Affair: The Effects of College on Parent and Student Finances
Presenter: Sandra Black, University of Texas at Austin
Discussant: Chris Wheat, JPMorganChase Institute

12:30 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. Lunch

1:45 p.m. – 2:40 p.m. Automation, Learning, and Career Dynamics
Presenter: Andres Drenik, University of Texas at Austin
Discussant: Jon Kleinberg, Cornell University

2:55 p.m. – 3:50 p.m.  Supply Constraints Do Not Explain House Price and Quantity Growth Across U.S. Cities
Presenter: John Mondragon, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco
Discussant: Marcus Casey, University of Illinois, Chicago

4:00 p.m. – 4:55 p.m. The Macroeconomics of Intergenerational Mental Health Dynamics
Presenter: Diego Daruich, University of Southern California
Discussant: Chiara Orsini, University of Sheffield

4:55 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Closing remarks

5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Networking and social hour