UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Niki Dickerson vonLockette, Penn State associate professor of labor and employment relations, was one of only 15 experts invited to present papers during a recent conference hosted by the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.

The conference, “Disparities in the Labor Market: What Are We Missing?” took place Sept. 26-27 in Washington, D.C.  The conference sought to bring a diverse network of researchers and policy analysts together in order to examine the causes of these disparities, explore the implications for aggregate economic performance, and brainstorm new directions for research and policy.

VonLockette’s presentation highlighted her research on racial/ethnic wage inequality and segregation in metropolitan labor markets. “It was exhilarating to see policymakers engaged with and open to researchers’ suggestions on employment policy issues,” she said of the conference. “It inspires me to press on with my research to improve opportunities for workers.”

To learn more, contact vonLockette at 814-867-4773 or nvonlock@psu.edu.