Betty Blecha Memorial Distinguished Economist Lecture with Professor Annamaria Lusardi, Stanford University
Overview
Join us on Thursday, October 22, 2026, for our 3rd Betty Blecha Memorial Distinguished Economist Lecture featuring Professor Annamaria Lusardi, Ph.D., of Stanford University, who will discuss "The Importance of Financial Literacy: Evidence from Many Years of Data."
Please note the event time is still being finalized.
Professor Lusardi's lecture will delve into the findings from many years of data from the Big Three and the Personal Finance Index (P-Fin Index). Both the Big Three financial literacy questions and the P-Fin Index are unique in their capacity to provide a robust measure of financial knowledge and allow a nuanced analysis of personal finance knowledge across the many areas in which individuals routinely function.
In addition to describing how financial literacy has changed over time and across demographic groups, the presentation will also highlight the link between financial knowledge and behavior and the implications of the findings for teaching, policy and programs.
Speaker
Annamaria Lusardi, Ph.D.
Senior Fellow, Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR)
Director, Initiative for Financial Decision-Making, Stanford University
Annamaria Lusardi is a Senior Fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR), and the Director of the Initiative for Financial Decision-Making, a collaboration between SIEPR, the Graduate School of Business (GSB), and the Economics Department at Stanford University. Previously, she was a University Professor at The George Washington University and, before that, the Joel Z. and Susan Hyatt Professor of Economics at Dartmouth College, where she began her academic career. She has taught at Princeton University, the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy and Booth School of Business, Columbia Business School, and was a visiting scholar at Harvard Business School. She holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Princeton University and an honorary doctorate from the University of Vaasa in Finland.
Professor Lusardi is also the founder and Academic Director of the Global Financial Literacy Excellence Center (GFLEC), which has pioneered work in personal finance education. She has published more than 100 articles and books. She is the founder and inaugural editor of the Journal of Financial Literacy and Wellbeing, published by Cambridge University Press. She has received numerous research and policy awards around the world. In 2017, 2021, and 2022, she was included in the Clarivate list, which recognizes exceptional research influence. She also won teaching awards at both Princeton and the University of Chicago. Lusardi served as a faculty advisor for the Office of Financial Education at the U.S. Treasury. From 2017 to 2023, she served as the Director of the Italian Financial Education Committee, where she was responsible for designing and implementing a national financial literacy strategy in Italy. She also co-chairs the World Economic Forum's Global Future Council on Financial Education.
Honoring Betty Blecha
Betty Blecha was a beloved member of the SFSU Faculty of Economics for 30 years. Her endowment brings distinguished economists to campus for lectures that enrich student learning and public dialogue.
Questions?
Please contact Professor Venoo Kakar, Ph.D., at vkakar@sfsu.edu if you have any questions about this event.
Reasonable accommodations: This event welcomes persons with disabilities and will provide reasonable accommodations upon request. Please send an email to Professor Venoo Kakar, Ph.D., at vkakar@sfsu.edu at least 5 days before the event to request reasonable accommodations.