SOLE 2021 Election Results: SOLE members elected Kathryn Shaw, Stanford University, as Vice-President. Her term begins on July 1, 2021. Dr. Shaw will be responsible for planning SOLE 2023 in Philadelphia. The membership also elected Hilary Hoynes, University of California – Berkeley, and Barbara Petrongolo, University of Oxford to the SOLE Executive Board. Their terms begin on July 1, 2021 and conclude June 30, 2023.

Congratulations to SOLE awards recipients: Two labor economists were recognized during the SOLE 2021 Annual Meeting for their contributions to the field. Kenneth Wolpin, Professor Emeritus at Rice University, was selected to receive the Jacob Mincer Award for lifetime contributions in the field of labor economics. John C. Haltiwanger was selected to receive the SOLE Prize for Contributions to Data & Measurement. Full profiles of the recipients are available at the SOLE website and are linked above.

Congratulations to new SOLE Fellows: Five labor economists’ election to Society Fellow were also announced at the SOLE 2021 meeting. They are Michael Keane, Magne Mogstad, Paul Oyer, Cecilia Rouse, and Kjell Salvanes. Fellows are elected for having made contributions of unusual distinction to the field.

SOLE 2021 was virtual and a success! SOLE 2021 was the most well-attended annual meeting in SOLE’s history with 577 attendees. New to the meeting were 24 networking sessions scheduled on Thursday, the day before the regular sessions. Senior researchers agreed to lead a 90-minute session for up to six participants. This addition was quite popular as each session was full. Invited lectures by Sandra Black and Claudia Olivetti and Presidential Lecture by Robert Moffitt were highlights of the program. Congratulations  and thanks to Kevin Lang, SOLE President-Elect and meeting organizer, for putting together such a well-attended event.

SOLE 2022: SOLE 2022 will be held May 6 – 7, 2022 at the Radisson Blu Downtown in Minneapolis, MN. More details about the meeting and submissions will be posted sole-jole.org as they become available. At this time, we expect the meeting to be in person, so mark the date on your calendar and plan to attend to celebrate our return to normal format after two years of virtual annual meetings.

SOLE Executive Board Meeting News: The SOLE Executive Board met virtually on May 28, 2021. The board reviewed and approved the following initiatives:

  • Code of Conduct Implementation: At the October 2020 Executive Board Meeting, the board approved the SOLE Professional Code of Conduct. As a first step in implementation, SOLE will include an acknowledgement checkbox during the submission and registration for future SOLE annual meetings.
  • Fellows Voting Policy: The board approved a change to the Fellows Policies and Procedure. The change limits nominating and voting on new Fellows to those current Fellows whose SOLE membership is current.
  • Student Dues Change: The board approved a reduction in the student member dues rate. Currently, student membership dues are $60/year. The new price will be $40/year for an electronic only membership.
Presidential Transition: Kevin Lang will assume the SOLE Presidency on July 1, 2021, replacing Robert Moffitt, whose term ends on June 30.

SOLE website: Remember to check the SOLE website periodically for the latest news about the Society and to see notices of upcoming events.