A One-Day Working Conference · Friday, October 16, 2026 · Kalamazoo, Michigan

AI in the Econ Classroom.

What AI is doing to teaching, assessment, and hiring, and the cross-institutional conversations we need to keep pace.

When
Friday, October 16, 2026
Where
Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, Michigan
Host
Department of Economics College of Arts and Sciences
Organizing Committee
Rodrigo Aranda
Jason Beasley Department of Economics
Format
Keynotes and invited talks
+ Contributed presentations
Themes

Four threads, one conversation.

The program sits at the intersection of how we teach with AI, how we assess what students have learned, what the labor market is asking of graduates, and the peer networks that make any of this tractable across institutions.

Pedagogy Assessment Workforce Readiness Networking
Speakers

Keynotes and invited talks.

Four confirmed voices anchor the day, drawn from research, teaching, and the labor-market side of the AI question. Additional speakers will be announced as the program firms up.

Michael Horrigan

W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research

Justin Wolfers

University of Michigan

Antonio Mele

London School of Economics

Kevin Bryan

University of Toronto

Host Session
Rodrigo Aranda · Western Michigan University. Do-It-Yourself AI Companions: Equitable, Ethical, and Instructor-Controlled LLM Development.
Additional speakers to be announced.
Program

A working preview of topics.

The full slate of talks, panels, and discussions is still being assembled. Below is a representative sample of the conversations the day is being built around — additional sessions and speakers will be announced as plans firm up.

Teaching & Learning

AI in the classroom: pedagogy & assessment.

How instructors are designing courses, assignments, and assessments now that students have copilots at hand.

Workforce

What employers expect from economics graduates.

Shifts in hiring criteria, day-one job tasks, and the skills industry is screening for in an AI-saturated labor market.

Publishing & Edtech

AI inside the textbook: the next generation of courseware.

A view from the publishers and edtech firms building the AI-native tools our students will use next.

Policy & Economy

AI and the Economy.

How a central-bank perspective reads the evidence on AI's impact on productivity, employment, and wages.

Additional talks, panels, and roundtables to be announced. Confirmed speakers will be listed here as they are finalized.
Call for Presentations

Come present your work.

The call for presentations opens soon. Presentations come in two lengths: a shorter slot of about 10 minutes, or a longer one of 20 minutes. We want the pilots that worked and the ones that did not. Regional focus, submissions welcome from anywhere.

Submissions close September 21, 2026. Decisions by September 30, 2026.

Add your name below to be notified the moment the call opens, to flag a collaboration, or simply to attend. We will keep you posted as the program firms up.

Questions? Write to [email protected] or [email protected]