2026 Conference on Discrimination in the 21st Century: Fostering Conversations Across Fields
This conference brought together researchers from different fields to discuss crucial themes around discrimination. Experts from economics, sociology, law, behavioral sciences, healthcare, artificial intelligence, and more interacted with each other through presentations and open panel discussions.
We were honored to welcome William A. Darity Jr. as our keynote speaker. Dr. Darity is the Samuel DuBois Cook Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Public Policy, African and African American Studies, and Economics and former director of the Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity at Duke University, where his research spans racial and ethnic economic inequality, stratification economics, and the economics of reparations. He also serves as the Director of the Samuel DuBois Cook Center at Howard University.
Past Conference Information: 2024 | 2023 | 2022
Presentation format: 20-minute presentation, followed by a 10-minute discussion, and 10-minute Q&A.
PHOTO GALLERY
Agenda
Registration & Breakfast
6th Floor Lounge
Expected Discrimination and Job Search
Presenter: Ieda Matavelli, University of New South Wales
Discussant: Marianne Bertrand, University of Chicago
Break
What Do Blind Evaluations Reveal? How Discrimination Shapes Representation and Quality
Presenter: Haruka Uchida, University of Chicago
Discussant: Conrad Miller, University of California, Berkeley
Break
Snacks Served in Prefunction
The Complexity of Diverse Talent Selection
Presenter: Kadeem Noray, Harvard University
Discussant: Diag Davenport, University of California, Berkeley
Break
Biased Promotions
Presenter: Radoslawa Nikolowa, Queen Mary University of London
Discussant: Louis-Pierre Lepage, Stockholm University
Lunch
1st Floor Dining Room
Panel Discussion: DEI in a Shifting Landscape
Crystal Andrews Banks, Truversiv Consulting
Ranya Brooks, Harvard University
Eloiza Domingo, Eloiza Consulting
Caroline Grossman, Chicago Booth, Rustandy Center for Social Innovation (Moderator)
Break
Bad News and Policy Views
Presenter: Heather Sarsons, University of Chicago
Discussant: Steven Durlauf, University of Chicago
Break
Snacks Served in Prefunction
Segregation by Choice? Separating Preferences from Restrictions in Housing Markets
Presenter: Milena Almagro, University of Chicago
Discussant: Christopher Timmins, University of Wisconsin, Madison
Break
What Makes Systemic Discrimination, "Systemic?"
Presenter: David McMillon, Emory University
Discussant: Daniel McGee, University of Toronto
Break
Keynote
William A. Darity, Howard University
Conference Dinner
By Invitation Only
Breakfast
6th Floor Lounge
Panel Discussion: Institutional Leadership in a Changing Discourse on Discrimination
John Palfrey, MacArthur Foundation
Andrea Sáenz, Chicago Community Trust
Julia Stasch Chicago Booth, Rustandy Center for Social Innovation (Moderator)
Break
Decoding Gender Bias in Interviews
Presenter: Clementine Van Effenterre, University of Toronto
Discussant: Basit Zafar, University of Michigan
Break
Snacks Served in Prefunction
From Callbacks to Careers: Do Audit Studies Predict Workforce Diversity?
Presenter: Emmanuel Yimfor, Columbia University
Discussant: Christopher Walters, University of Chicago
Break
Masculinity Around the World
Presenter: Victoria Baranov, University of Melbourne
Discussant: Joshua Dean, University of Chicago
Lunch
1st Floor Dining Room