Leading Economist to Discuss Retirement Security at Henry George Lecture

Labor economist and nationally recognized expert in retirement security Teresa Ghilarducci, Ph.D., will be the featured speaker at St. John’s University’s Fall 2023 Henry George Lecture, presented by The Peter J. Tobin College of Business on October 12.

Dr. Ghilarducci is the Irene and Bernard L. Schwartz Chair in economic policy analysis in the Economics Department at the New School for Social Research and directs the Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis that focuses on economic policy research and outreach. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1984. Her most recent book Rescuing Retirement: A Plan to Guarantee Retirement for All Americans, offers solutions to the growing retirement crisis in the United States.

The Henry George Lecture Series has welcomed thought leaders to St. John’s Queens, NY, campus to explore relevant topics in economics since 1981. This year, Dr. Ghilarducci will discuss “The False Promise of Pensions and the Creation of Surplus Labor.”

“We are excited to honor Dr. Ghilarducci as our Henry George speaker this year,” said Maciek Nowak, Ph.D., Dean and Joseph H. and Maria C. Schwartz Distinguished Chair, The Peter J. Tobin College of Business. “Her work in labor economics, with an emphasis on job and retirement security, is of great importance for society today and is consistent with the University’s Vincentian mission to seek and develop effective solutions that can help achieve social justice.”

The Henry George Chair in Economics is an endowed position at St. John’s i with a grant from the Robert Schalkenbach Foundation. It advocates for the work of 19th-century American political economist Henry George, who championed for progress and broad social development. At the University, this position was established to reward, support, and encourage scholarly activities aligned with those of Mr. George. Aleksandr V. Gevorkyan, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Economics and Finance, has held the Henry George Chair since 2019.

Dr. Gevorkyan believes Dr. Ghilarducci’s work is of the utmost importance today given the “global pandemic, geopolitical pressures, concerns over job stability, and overall economic uncertainty.”

“It is a unique opportunity to learn from such a preeminent economist as Dr. Ghilarducci, and to learn and to ponder on some of the urgent topics about inclusive and sustainable labor market policies,” Dr. Gevorkyan added. “These attempts to resolve the unfair socioeconomic outcomes are at the core of St. John’s purpose.”

The lecture will be held in the D’Angelo Center, room 206, beginning at 1:50 p.m. Registration is required for access to the live WebEx lecture.