How to Change: Adapting for a Post-Pandemic World
March 10, 2022 | 4 p.m. | Virtual
The seventh annual Paul Volcker Lecture took place virtually on March 10, 2022. The Wharton School’s Katy Milkman delivered her lecture, “How to Change,” which focused on her research on how behavioral science can help us improve ourselves when we face barriers such as impulsivity, forgetfulness, inertia, or lack of confidence
Milkman is the James G. Dinan Professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She also co-founded and co-directs the University of Pennsylvania’s Behavior Change for Good Initiative, alongside her Wharton colleague, Angela Duckworth. Her research is transforming our understanding of behavior change.
Spotlight on Previous Volcker Lecture
Restoring the American Dream: New Lessons from Big Data
Raj Chetty, professor of economics at Stanford, presents data showing that there is tremendous variation in rates of upward mobility in the U.S., with some cities, like San Francisco, offering rates of upward mobility comparable to Canada and others, such as Atlanta, offering lower rates than any country in the world.
Chetty uncovers and analyzes key factors that explain these differences in upward mobility and how policies can be changed to revive the American Dream.
March 26, 2018
About the Volcker Lecture
The Volcker Chair, which hosts the Paul Volcker Lecture, was endowed by Robert Menschel, former senior director at Goldman Sachs Group and Trustee Emeritus of Syracuse University, in honor of Paul Volcker.
Paul Volcker’s distinguished career includes eight years as chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve under Presidents Carter and Reagan; four years as president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York; and two years as chair of President Obama’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board. In addition, he served as Undersecretary of Treasury for international monetary affairs and was chairman of the prominent New York investment banking firm, J. Rothschild, Wolfensohn & Co. Volcker also chaired the National Commission on the Public Service, which focused on the changes needed to restore vitality and credibility to public service.
"The critically important field of behavioral economics, although relatively new, has quickly become central to policymakers and corporate leaders in their decision making," observes Menschel. "Paul Volcker [was] the nation’s preeminent economist who epitomizes the very best thinking in this area."
The Maxwell School gratefully acknowledges Mr. Menschel's generous support. Funding for policy-relevant research and professional training for future public officials are key components to advancing effective governance at the national, state and local levels.
Leonard Lopoo, the Paul Volcker Chair in Behavioral Economics, hosts the Paul Volcker Lecture. Lopoo, in collaboration with colleagues in Maxwell's Center for Policy Research, where he is director and senior research associate, organizes an annual conference or lecture on a public policy topic drawing on the insights and perspectives of behavioral economics.
For More Information
Katrina Fiacchi
Administrative Specialist, Center for Policy Research
426 Eggers Hall
315.443.9040 | kfiacchi@syr.edu