Other Personal Enrichment
** TALKS WITH PROFESSOR ROB KAULFUSS **
The Economic Reckoning That Has Come: How we got here and where we are headed
This talk will be a big picture look at the health of the U.S. economy. The U.S. government and Federal Reserve stepped in massively to support the economy during the financial crisis of 2008-09 and again during the Covid pandemic of 2020-21. Until recently, home values and stock markets had almost continuously gone up. Was the economy really saved either time?
Although unemployment is very low, we are now faced with the prospect that the Fed may need to engineer a recession to get inflation under control. To understand our challenges, we will examine the different types of inflation plaguing the U.S. (and world) economy. $39
6/7 2:00pm - 4:00pm Wednesday
BedfordCampus
Building Henderson Hall, room HH 111
CourseNumber:PER985-30 CRN: 14378 Professor: KAULFUSS
The Energy Transition That Must Come: How renewables, nuclear power, hydrogen, and
personal sacrifice will all be needed
Transitioning to a new energy system has become an existential challenge forhuman civilization. This talk will examine the complex technological, economic, and political tradeoffs. Renewables are now the cheapest form of energy, but they are intermittent. Batteries provide energy storage, but only for hours, not days, weeks, or seasons. Nuclear power is carbon free, but many are still frightened of it. We may be able to produce clean electricity for many things, but how will we fly planes, power ships, and produce steel and cement without liquid or fossil fuels? $39
6/14 2:00pm - 4:00pm Wednesday
BedfordCampus
Building Henderson Hall, Room HH 111
CourseNumber:PER986 30 CRN: 14379 Professor: KAULFUSS
Rob Kaulfuss recently retired after three plus decades of full-time teaching at Middlesex Community
College. He was teaching economics when the Financial Crisis of 2008-09 hit, when
he also began leading teams of Middlesex students in the Fed Challenge competition
on monetary policy, including two national championships at the community college
level. He has also had long interest in environmental studies and energy technology.
He takes an interdisciplinary, macro approach to understanding issues that is reflected
in his talks. He continues to keep abreast of the latest developments in retirement,
including attendance at regional conferences. He is also an electric vehicle fanatic.