Inequality Working Group | 2025 – 2026
Description
The Inequality Working Group is a student workshop designed to support the development of original research projects by graduate students and early career researchers. Meeting monthly, the workshop provides a space for participants to present their own work—whether early-stage ideas or ongoing projects—for constructive feedback and collaborative refinement.
The format centers on student-led research and peer-to-peer engagement. Participants take on new projects or build on existing work, presenting regularly for input from faculty, postdoctoral scholars, and fellow students. The aim of the working group is to foster long-term, meaningful academic relationships and a collaborative intellectual community.
The 2025-2026 program is led by Director Steven Durlauf, Associate Director Geoff Wodtke, and Postdoctoral Scholar Kristina Butaeva. Because of the intensive and collaborative nature of the workshop, participation is by admission only. Please see the Call for Applications page for details; applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Location
The Keller Center
Room 2054, Fourth Floor
1307 E 60th St.
Chicago, IL 60637
Schedule
| Date | Time | Location | Mentor | Topic |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue, October 28, 2025 | 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM | KELL 2054 | Steven Durlauf | Introduction to the Working Group |
| Tue, November 4, 2025 | 5:00 PM – 7:30 PM | KELL 2054 | Samuel Bowles | The Origin and Future of Economic Inequality |
| Tue, December 16, 2025 | 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM | KELL 2054 | Steven Durlauf | The Anatomy of US Inequality |
| Tue, January 20, 2026 | 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM | KELL 2054 | Geoffrey Wodtke | Inequality, Schools, and Achievement Disparities |
| Tue, February 10, 2026 | 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM | KELL 2054 | Kristina Butaeva | Intergenerational Mobility in the Late Qing Dynasty (1786–1906): Evidence from Northeast China |
| Tue, March 3, 2026 | 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM | KELL 2054 | Geoffrey Wodtke | Student Presentations |
| Wed, April 1, 2026 | 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM | KELL 2054 | Kristina Butaeva | Student Presentations |
| Wed, April 22, 2026 | 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM | KELL 2054 | Kristina Butaeva | Student Presentations |
| Wed, May 13, 2026 | 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM | KELL 2054 | Kristina Butaeva | Student Presentations |