WERISE began in 2019 as an initiative by the Boston University Women and Nonbinary People in Economics (WEOrg), with the mission to spotlight and promote discussions on gender representation within the economics profession. Despite progress over the past five years, many of these challenges persist, necessitating a renewed dialogue that extends to other underrepresented minority groups. The 2025 iteration of WERISE will take place on October 3rd, 2025 and will bring together scholars to discuss issues of intersectional representation in the economics profession, as well as highlight research studying gender-related research in the fields of labor, development, and health.
We are thrilled to welcome Claudia Olivetti, the George J. Records 1956 Professor of Economics at Dartmouth College, as our keynote speaker.
WERISE 2025 will include two special opportunities for current graduate students:
A panel session featuring women and nonbinary economists across academia, industry, and government to reflect on their career paths and barriers they have faced.
A poster session open to PhD students who identify as women or nonbinary to showcase their research on any topic. While we will prioritize students entering the job market in Fall 2025, submissions from students at earlier stages are also encouraged.
To attend or submit a poster abstract, please fill this form out: https://forms.gle/QmJoSW4aRptyQ5ZL7. The poster submission deadline is September 5th, 2025 and accepted submissions will be notified by September 10th. The general registration deadline is September 20th, 2025.
WERISE CONFERENCE AGENDA
Date: October 3, 2025
Location: Questrom School of Business, 4th Floor
8:30 – 9:00 AM: Registration & Breakfast
9:00 – 10:00 AM: Keynote Address
10:00 – 10:15 AM: Break
10:15 – 12:00 PM: Session 1— Two Parallel Tracks
12:00 – 1:00 PM: Lunch
1:15 – 3:00 PM: Session 2 — Two Parallel Tracks
3:00 – 3:15 PM: Break
3:15 – 4:15 PM: Poster Sessions
4:15 – 4:30 PM: Break
4:30 – 6:00 PM: Panel Session
6:00 – 7:00 PM: Reception & Concluding Remarks
Session 1 (10:15 – 12:00 PM)
Block 1: Profession Track (25-minute talk & 10-minute Q&A)
Anna Stansbury (MIT) - "Class Gap in Career Promotion: Evidence from Academia" with Kyra Rodriguez (On Zoom)
Valeria Rueda (University of Nottingham) - "How tinted are your glasses? Gender views, beliefs, and recommendations in hiring" with Anna Hochleitner, Fabio Tufano, Markus Eberhardt, Giovanni Facchini (On Zoom)
Sahar Parsa (NYU) - "Mentorship and the Gender Gap in Academia" with Anders Kjelsrud
Block 2: Topics Track (25-minute talk & 10-minute Q&A)
Maxine J. Lee (San Francisco State University) -"Transgender Earnings Gaps in the United States: Evidence from Administrative Data" with Christopher S. Carpenter, Lucas Goodman
Josh Martin (Vanderbilt University) - “Same-Sex Partnership Protections, Prohibitions and Child Adoptions” with Zach Rodriguez
Maximilien Bielsa (University of Delaware) - "Another Baby Boom? How Same-Sex Marriage and the Affordable Care Act Increased Births in the US"
Session 2 (1:15 – 3:00 PM)
Block 1: Profession Track (25-minute talk & 10-minute Q&A)
Michael Martell (Bard College) - "Queering Economics: Diversity and Inclusion in the Dismal Science" with Leanne Roncolato
Joanna Venator (Boston College) - "The Impacts of Same and Opposite Gender Alumni Speakers on Interest in Economics" with Arpita Patnaik, Gwyn C. Pauley, Matthew J. Wiswall
Xuechao (Jane) Qian (Ball State University) - "Half Empty and Half Full? Women in Economics and the Rise in Gender-Related Research" with Francisca M. Antman, Kirk B. Doran, Bruce A. Weinberg
Block 2: Topics Track (25-minute talk & 10-minute Q&A)
Alessandra Gonzalez (Duke University) - "Firm and Employment Responses to Policy Signals" with Xianglong Kong, and Jennifer R. Peck
Sally Zhang (Tufts University) - “Hidden in Plain Sight: Asymmetric Information and Hidden Income within the Household”
Donn L. Feir (University of Victoria) - Understanding Mental Health Differences Between Cisgender and Gender Minority Youth: Evidence from Within-Family Comparisons
Panel Session (4:30 – 6:00 PM)
Panelists include:
Fatima Aqeel (Senior Economist, City of Boston, Planning Department Research Division)
Vittoria Dicandia (Research Economist, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland)
Dana Rotz (Director of Econometrics, Wizards of the Coast)
Bitsy Perlman (Economist, Center For Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau)
Linh T. Tô (Assistant Professor, Boston University)