The conference “Fernando Alvarez at 60: Celebrating His Contributions to Economics and his Friendship”, hosted by the Becker Friedman Institute, will take place on September 26-27, 2025 at the University of Chicago. This special event will feature presentations by Fernando’s esteemed colleagues, coauthors, and former students.
Fernando has had a profound impact on the field of economics with innovative insights using his trademark research style. More personally, he has shaped the careers and lives of countless economists with his remarkable collegiality, mentorship, and generosity.
This conference is a unique opportunity to honor Fernando’s achievements and express our deep appreciation for his influence as both a scholar and a friend. We hope you can join us for this memorable celebration.
This conference is by invitation only. If you have any questions, please reach out to bfi-events@uchicago.edu.
GUEST OF HONOR
Fernando Alvarez
Charles F. Grey Distinguished Service Professor, the Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics
Agenda
Registration and Breakfast
9th Floor Foyer
Session I
Veronica Guerrieri, University of Chicago (Session Chair)
Assortative Matching with Private Information
Robert Shimer, University of Chicago (Presenter)
Maryam Farboodi, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Discussant)
Break
Carbon Emissions in the Global Economy
Natalia Ramondo, Boston University (Presenter)
Lorenzo Caliendo, Yale University (Discussant)
Break
Tatonnement and Price Setting in General Equilibrium
Iván Werning, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Presenter)
Aleksei Oskolkov, Princeton University (Discussant)
Lunch Presentation
Peter May Boardroom
Thomas J. Sargent, New York University
Session II
Pablo Andrés Neumeyer, Universidad Torcuato Di Tella (Session Chair)
From Code to Composition: Personalized Recommendation and Its Impact on Innovation
David Argente, Yale University (Presenter)
Alexander Monge-Naranjo, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta (Discussant)
Break
Taxing the Rich: A Theory of Wealth and Income Inequality
Patrick Kehoe, Stanford University (Presenter)
Constantino Hevia, Universidad Torcuato Di Tella (Discussant)
Break
Turning Straw into Gold
Martin Beraja, University of California, Berkeley (Presenter)
Rodolfo Manuelli, Washington University, Saint Louis (Discussant)
Conference Dinner
By invitation only.
Breakfast
9th Floor Foyer
Session III
Greg Kaplan, University of Chicago (Session Chair)
A Reinforcement Learning Approach to Heterogeneous Agent Macroeconomics
Benjamin Moll, London School of Economics and Political Science (Presenter)
Juan Pablo Nicolini, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis (Discussant)
Break
Earnings, Amenities, and Selection
Katarína Borovičková, Federal Reserves Bank of Richmond (Presenter)
Ezra Oberfield, Cornell University (Discussant)
Break
Reconciling Macroeconomics and Finance for the U.S. Corporate Sector: 1929 to Present
Andrew Atkeson, University of California, Los Angeles (Presenter)
Adrien Verdelhan, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Discussant)
Lunch
First Floor Dining Room
Session IV
Uncovering the Costs of High Inflation
Francesco Lippi, LUISS University (Presenter)
Francisca Sara-Zaror, Federal Reserve Board (Discussant)
Break
A Macro Finance Model for Proof-of-Stake Ethereum
Urban Jermann, University of Pennsylvania (Presenter)
Pablo Kurlat, University of California, Los Angeles (Discussant)
Break
Sectoral Development Multipliers
Nicholas Trachter, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond (Presenter)
Ariel Burstein, University of California, Los Angeles (Discussant)
Conference Concludes
The Celebration Continues: Dinner hosted by Fernando and Gaby
By invitation only.