From politics on college campuses to the economy and artificial intelligence (AI), the fall events series presented by the Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government and Public Policy at Washington University in St. Louis will address many of the most pressing policy issues facing America and the world today.
The Weidenbaum Center, in Arts & Sciences, is a research institute that advances social scientific research in public policy, economics, political science and sociology while connecting scholarship to public life. In addition to funding and supporting faculty research, the center sponsors a dynamic program of public lectures, conferences and policy forums that bring scholars, policymakers and citizens into direct conversation. By translating rigorous research into accessible ideas and engaging events, the center serves as a bridge between the academy and the broader community.
The future of civic education and universities
The center will kick off its fall speakers’ series with a timely discussion on the role of civic education at universities, and where higher education goes from here, from 4-5:15 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 4, in Knight Hall’s Emerson Auditorium on the Danforth Campus.
For decades, conservatives had accused universities of being too liberal, silencing conservative voices and fostering radical left-wing ideologies among students. Over the last few months, those criticisms have reached a fever pitch with President Trump’s administration freezing or cutting billions in research funding and limiting international student enrollment.
WashU Chancellor Andrew D. Martin will deliver opening remarks via recording. Then, Andrew Reeves, a professor of political science in Arts & Sciences and director of the Weidenbaum Center, will host a conversation with Robert Doar, president of the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), and Benjamin Storey, a senior fellow at AEI who focuses on the culture of higher education, the nature of liberal and civic education and efforts to enhance viewpoint diversity on college and university campuses. The event will conclude with an audience Q&A session.
Attendees are invited to a reception immediately afterward. Reserve your spot here.
The past, present and future of the Federal Reserve
Karen Branding, president and CEO of the Regional Business Council, will moderate a panel discussion among three distinguished leaders of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis at 12:30 p.m. Sept. 29 at Graham Chapel on the Danforth Campus.
Current president and CEO Alberto Musalem will be joined by former presidents Jim Bullard (2008-2023), dean of business at Purdue University, and Thomas Melzer (1985-1998), co-founder and managing director of RiverVest Venture Partners.
Following opening remarks from Chancellor Martin, the current and former presidents will explore the evolving role of the Federal Reserve in the U.S. economy, drawing on decades of leadership and experience at the St. Louis Fed. This event is co-sponsored by the Mitch Daniels School of Business at Purdue University. RSVP here.
AI at the crossroads: power, politics and the future we’re building
Investigative journalist Karen Hao, author of “Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman’s Open AI,” will join the Weidenbaum Center’s Elizabeth Pippert Larson for a special event at 3 p.m. Oct. 16 in Hillman Hall’s Clark-Fox Forum on the Danforth Campus.
Artificial intelligence is already transforming the economy, politics and daily life, but the public knows surprisingly little about who’s steering the technology or where it’s headed.
Hao’s new book draws on years of deep access to OpenAI and its leadership to expose what’s really driving the world’s most influential tech and the hidden costs we’re not talking about, from exploited data labor to environmental fallout.
This event is presented as part of the Campus Consortium partnership between the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting and the Weidenbaum Center. Attendees are invited to a reception following the event. Reserve your spot here.
Also this fall
- Constitution Day SCOTUS review: Join WashU Law faculty members Susan Appleton, Travis Crum, Andrea Katz, Greg Magarian and Karen Tokarz Sept. 17 as they discuss recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions and upcoming cases on the court’s docket. The event begins at noon in Anheuser-Busch Hall’s Bryan Cave Moot Courtroom, Room 310, on the Danforth Campus. Pizza will be served; reservations are not required.
- “The economic forecast from inside the Trump White House”: The Weidenbaum Center will host Aaron Hedlund, chief economist for the White House Council of Economic Advisors, at 8 a.m. Oct. 24 at the Weidenbaum Center, Seigle Hall, Suite 170, on the Danforth Campus. Hedlund will discuss the current state of the economy and provide a forecast of the country’s economic future.
- “High stakes, uncertain gains: Trump’s economic experiment so far“: WashU economist Steven Fazzari and Chris Varvares, a Weidenbaum Center senior fellow, will analyze the impact of Trump’s economic policy. The event begins at 3 p.m. Nov. 11 at the Weidenbaum Center.
