The Future of Work
April 16-17, 2026
The Gabelli Center for Teaching & Learning is pleased to announce that our second conference, The Future of Work, will be held on April 16-17, 2026.
On the evening of April 16, David Autor, the Daniel and Gail Rubinfeld Professor in Economics at MIT, will deliver a keynote on “Expertise, Artifical Intelligence, and the Work of the Future.” A full day of presentations from Iona faculty and business leaders will follow on April 17 as we explore institutional innovations that can complement technological change.
Keynote Speaker: David H. Autor, Ph.D., MIT professor and author
"The Work of the Future: Building Better Jobs in an Age of Intelligent Machines"
David Autor, Ph.D., is one of the leading labor economists in the world and an internationally recognized authority on how technological change, globalization, and trade agreements affect labor markets.
In his conference keynote on April 16, Autor will address the question at the forefront of everyone’s minds concerning the future of work: Will recent advances in AI complement human expertise, thereby increasing its value, or render it increasingly unnecessary, thus reducing experts’ earnings potential (even if jobs are not in net eliminated)? Autor will frame this question through the lens of three technological revolutions of the last two centuries: the Industrial Revolution, the Computer Revolution, and the AI Revolution.
CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
Thursday, April 16
- 5-6 p.m. | Presidential Reception
By invitation. - 6:30 p.m.
Keynote with David H. Autor, Ph.D.: Expertise, Artificial Intelligence, and the Work of the Future
Q&A to follow talk.
Friday, April 17
- 9 a.m. | Check-in
- 9:15-9:30 a.m. | Welcome
Tricia Mulligan, Ph.D., Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs - 9:30-10 a.m. | Iona's Vision on the Evolving Relationship between Education and Work
Seamus Carey, Ph.D., President - 10-11 a.m. | The Entrepreneurial Imperative: Human Skills in an AI-Driven World
Gabelli Presidential Fellows Rob Kissner '24MBA and Aakash Sapru, Ph.D., Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation - 11:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | Interprofessional Education and the Future of Health Care
Gabelli Center Provost Fellows in Interprofessional Education and representatives from NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital - 12:30-1:15 p.m. | Lunch
- 1:30-2:30 p.m. | The Agentic Future
Adam Hanft, CEO of Hanft Ideas, strategic advisor to public companies and startups - 2:30-4 p.m. | Panel Discussion: Education in Real Life
Business leaders and Iona students in conversation on career journeys in progress—and about to begin.
Event Descriptions
Thursday, April 16
By invitation to Iona alumni, faculty and students, business leaders, and community partners.
Keynote Speaker: David H. Autor
Location: Romita Auditorium, Ryan Library
Will recent advances in AI complement human expertise, thereby increasing its value, or render it increasingly unnecessary, thus reducing experts’ earnings potential (even if jobs are not in net eliminated)? Autor will frame this question through the lens of three technological revolutions of the last two centuries: the Industrial Revolution, the Computer Revolution, and the AI Revolution. In each, the types of expertise rewarded changed substantially, with vastly uneven consequences for workers in different occupations and possessing different education levels. These forces will play out differently in the AI era than in preceding decades. While the future is not a forecasting exercise—it is a collective creation, not a preordained fate—Autor will lay out the opportunities that AI opens for the labor market, as well as some of the risks it poses.
Friday, April 17
Location: Murphy Auditorium
In this talk, Iona President Seamus Carey, Ph.D., will share the thinking behind Iona’s vision of education in the AI age, discussing how institutional innovation can empower teaching, learning and the lifetimes they inform.
As AI transforms every corner of the workplace, the people who thrive won’t just be the ones using the tools, they'll be the ones who can solve problems, understand people, and think creatively. This workshop, presented by Gabelli Center Presidential Fellows and Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation faculty members Rob Kissner '24MBA and Aakash Sapru, Ph.D., explores the current research on AI’s impact in the professional world and provides a practical look at effective AI use alongside the entrepreneurial thinking, human insight, and lifelong learning habits that will separate good professionals from great ones.
Interprofessional Education (IPE) prepares students to succeed in their selected profession by working across disciplines as part of a collaborative team. Gabelli Provost Fellows on Iona’s faculty will discuss their project exploring AI in IPE settings, then be joined by representatives from NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital to expand the conversation.
What will it take to succeed both at work and on the home front, and how will AI effect, and perhaps entwine, both domains? Adam Hanft is the founder and CEO of Hanft Ideas, a strategic branding and marketing consultancy. In addition to being advisor to cutting-edge startups and technology firms, Hanft serves on the boards of Scotts Miracle-Gro and 1-800-Flowers. He is the author of Dictionary of the Future, which predicted many of the trends and developments we are dealing with today, and is a columnist for INC. Magazine.
Education in Real Life, one of Iona’s newest initiatives, seeks to bridge the gap between the world of study of study and the world of work—and between artificial intelligence and real learning—through an innovative collaboration with leading companies in three industries: energy, construction, and hospitality. Our closing conference panel will explore the design and objectives of this program in conversation with industry representatives, business leaders, and Iona students.
Thank you to our Sponsors
This event is sponsored by the Gabelli Center for Teaching & Learning. Founded at Iona University in 2024, the Center is shaped by the vision of Marc Gabelli and exemplifies his long-standing commitment to Catholic education. Its work is made possible by the generosity of Mr. Gabelli; his mother, Elaine Madonna Gabelli, a longtime Catholic elementary school teacher; and the EMG Madonna Foundation, which is committed to supporting and strengthening the future of Catholic schools. We are also grateful for conference support from the Gabelli Foundation.
FAQs
Where will the conference be held?
Both events will take place on Iona’s New Rochelle campus.
David Autor’s keynote on April 16 will be held in Romita Auditorium located in Ryan Library.
The full-day conference on April 17 will take place in Murphy Auditorium.
Signage will be placed around campus, and a campus map can be found here.
How will event updates be communicated?
If there are any changes or updates to the conference events, we will send an email to the address you provided on your registration form. We ask that you please monitor your email as this will be the primary method of communication leading up to the conference.
Where should I park?
Attendees are asked to park in the Summit parking lot located at the top of Summit Avenue. Additional parking is available in the garage located behind the LaPenta School of Business. Depending on the event’s destination, it is a 5–10-minute walk to the Romita or Murphy auditoriums. If you require assistance or an accessible parking space, please contact us here.
Will there be time to meet other attendees?
Yes! There will be a robust Q&A session on April 16 following the keynote, and lunch will be served on April 17. We encourage attendees to network and share their thoughts throughout the conference.