We are excited to announce Christopher Candelaria, Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Education at Vanderbilt University, as the featured speaker for this year’s Economic Outlook Luncheon (added fee) at the 2025 Joint Statistical Meetings in Nashville, TN. Professor Candelaria’s research focuses on teacher labor markets, education finance reform, and federal and state-level accountability. Before entering academia, Dr. Candelaria worked for four years at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. The title of his talk is listed below, followed by an abstract with more information.
Title: Connecting the Dots: Integrating Survey and Administrative Data for Economic Analysis
Modern economic research increasingly relies on combining multiple data sources to answer complex policy questions. This talk demonstrates how integrating traditional surveys with administrative records and secure Census data creates new opportunities for economic analysis. Using examples from the economics of education, we'll explore methodological approaches for combining administrative data, state administrative records, Census databases, and tax data to generate comprehensive economic insights. The discussion will highlight how these linked data environments enable stronger causal inference and policy evaluation across various economic sectors. Special attention will be paid to practical challenges researchers face when working across multiple data systems and how statistical agencies can support this emerging research frontier.