Women in Economics: Heather Long

“When you have a lot of women faculty or when you have women who are on the Federal Open Market Committee or presidents of the regional Fed, it does change the conversation,” says Heather Long, editorial writer and columnist at the Washington Post. “It does inspire more people to get involved in the field.” In this podcast, Long discusses her journey in journalism and the importance of diversity in economics.

“We launched the center with the main objective to champion diversity in economics, both in academia and policymaking,” says Marina Azzimonti, senior economic research advisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and director of its Center for Advancing Women in Economics. In this episode, learn about the center’s work to support women in economics.

“In order to be a good teacher, you need to speak the language of the person who is in front of you,” says Isabel Schnabel, a member of the Executive Board of the European Central Bank (ECB). She discusses her work at the ECB, along with her teaching career and the difference it makes when there are two women in the room, as opposed to only one. Schnabel talks with Maria Hasenstab of the External Engagement and Corporate Communications Division at the St. Louis Fed.

“Economics does provide a very powerful tool for changing public policy,” says Heidi Hartmann, founder of the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, who currently serves as a distinguished economist and resident at the Program on Gender Analysis in Economics at American University.

“We need to make sure that a broad array of perspectives are heard and especially at an institution like in the Federal Reserve System where we're working on policy questions that have such a broad impact, but also a lot of fiscal policy questions,” says Stephanie Aaronson, senior associate director of the Division of Research and Statistics at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.

“Being active on social media and sharing all the research that we do is one way that I can increase my impact,” says Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at Redfin. Fairweather discusses her work at the real estate brokerage company and why she thinks more women should consider studying economics.

“I think I have community banking in my blood,” said Michelle Bowman, member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Prior to her appointment to the Board, she served as the state bank commissioner of Kansas and vice president of Farmers & Drovers Bank in Kansas.

“We've all experienced the: ‘I'm the only woman in this room’ …  and it's a difficult situation,” said Shelly Lundberg, professor of economics at the University of California - Santa Barbara. Lundberg joins Janice Eberly, professor of finance at Northwestern University, and Christina Romer, professor of economics at the University of California - Berkeley, as they discuss their leadership roles serving for the American Economic Association.

“The scale at which you can impact public policy at the Fed is really both inspiring and exciting, and it's a big responsibility, too,” says Anna Paulson, executive vice president, director of research and executive committee member at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. She talks with Andrea Caceres-Santamaria, senior economic education specialist at the St. Louis Fed.

“I like to be enabling, but have all students follow their own passions,” says Claudia Goldin, the Henry Lee Professor of Economics at Harvard University and co-director of the Gender in the Economy Study Group at the National Bureau of Economic Research.