Becker Friedman Institute for Economics

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the 2026 Women in Empirical Microeconomics Conference at UChicago! Researchers shared early-stage work, exchanged feedback, and explored new approaches across empirical microeconomics.

BFI is pleased to announce that Diana Smith has been named Executive Director! With more than 13 years at University of Chicago, Smith brings extensive experience advancing academic programs, supporting research, and building strategic partnerships.

How is AI reshaping social science? On October 8–9, BFI brought together researchers across disciplines for the 2026 AI in Social Science Conference, featuring a keynote by Jens Ludwig. @CAAI_Booth Explore conference highlights and view photos: bfi.uchicago.edu/events/even…

How can Europe balance competitiveness, energy security, and climate goals? Join BFI on Oct. 27 for a public event featuring Veronika Grimm, exploring Europe's energy and industrial transformation amid shifting geopolitical pressures.

Roughly 3 million Americans own private businesses and have a net worth of at least $5 million. On a new episode of The Pie, Chicago Booth economist Eric Zwick joins Tess Vigeland to discuss The Everywhere Millionaire, his new book with Owen Zidar.

🏅 Fifty years ago today, University of Chicago economist Milton Friedman was named the recipient of the 1976 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences.

BFI welcomes @nhommel_econ and @MaddalenaRonchi as its 2026–27 Saieh Family Fellows in Economics! The fellowship supports promising early-career economists as they advance their research and engage with UChicago’s academic community. Learn more: bfi.uchicago.edu/news/72503/…

How can Europe balance energy security, industrial competitiveness, and climate goals? Join BFI on Oct. 27 for a public talk with @GrimmVeronika exploring Europe's energy and industrial transformation. 5 PM | Chicago Booth Harper Center Register: bfi.uchicago.edu/events/even…

How do expectations about uncertain government policies shape financial decisions? New research from @dkoust, Michael Weber, and Constantine Yannelis finds that expectations about student loan forgiveness shaped borrowers’ spending and repayment decisions.

Thank you to the scholars who joined us Oct. 2–4 for the 2026 IOG Fall Conference! Organized by Marianne Bertrand, Oeindrila Dube, Torsten Persson & Francesco Trebbi, the conference featured three days of research and discussion.