HARRY KATZ
Interim Provost and Jack Sheinkman Professor, Cornell University and immediate past Dean, ILR School
1. How has attending LERA conferences influenced your career and/or research?
At LERA meetings I have been able to stay up with current research and network with faculty, students, and practitioners. These meetings were an effective way to build my “social capital” as it is now called. I used a number of meetings as a convenient opportunity to discuss ongoing or potential research projects with colleagues at other universities.
2. What do you think is the most important reason why students should participate in LERA’s Annual Meeting?
The LERA meetings provide students and young faculty a great opportunity to explain their work and research interests to others. They are a tool to learn more about what is going on in our field and also develop your own place and networks. There is no better vehicle to do so.
3. It’s ILR’s 70th Anniversary. Any predictions about what will be significant influences on the next generation and their World of Work?
Our field is getting ever broader in its focus as the world of work evolves and diversifies. Globalization is clearly a dominant trend and more of our research and teaching will be international in focus in the future. Our connections with other disciplines – history, sociology and political science in particular are growing and I see no end in sight for their eclectic expansion.