Adriana D. Kugler — 2025 Whittington Lecture

Adriana D. Kugler has spearheaded transformative policy initiatives across multiple high-level government positions. As Chief Economist at the U.S. Department of Labor (2011-2013), she shaped national employment policy during critical economic recovery years. She became the first Latinx Executive Director representing the U.S. at the World Bank in 2022, where she led efforts addressing global food insecurity and expedited budget support to Ukraine. Currently serving as the first Hispanic member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors in its 109-year history, she leverages her labor market expertise to guide monetary policy affecting millions of Americans.

Dr. Kugler is also a Full Professor at the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University.

For the 2025 Whittington Lecture, she spoke on the run-up of inflation in the post-pandemic period, its recent decline and critical lessons learned, and the Federal Reserve’s current stance on monetary policy.