Join us for a graduate student workshop held in conjunction with the annual ASREC (Association for the Study of Religion, Economics and Culture) conference.

This one-day workshop will allow a select group of graduate students to explore the interdisciplinary study of the economics of religion. Participants will have the chance to receive valuable advice, comprehensive instruction, and constructive feedback from leaders in the field.

After the workshop, students will attend and participate in the ASREC conference, which will cover recent research in the field and offer practical guidance and access to resources through Q&A sessions. Meals, receptions, and social events will be organized to encourage networking between participants and established scholars.

Faculty leaders will include Mark Koyama (George Mason University), Avital Livny (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign), Jared Rubin (Chapman University), and Jonathan Schulz (George Mason University).

An honorarium will be awarded to cover the expenses of an economy flight, transportation, hotel, and meals. If you are on immigration status, kindly consult with your designated school official to verify your eligibility to receive an honorarium payment. Please be aware that due to federal restrictions, students on F1 visas will be responsible for covering their travel expenses.

This workshop is generously sponsored by the Institute for the Study of Religion, Economics, and Society at Chapman and the John Templeton Foundation.

ASREC 2025 Conference

George Mason University - Arlington, VA

March 7-8, 2025

Keynote Speaker

Prof. Dr. Robert Boyd

Arizona State University

Robert (Rob) Boyd is considered a forerunner in the field of cultural evolution, known for his significant contributions to understanding how culture influences human evolution. He holds a professorship in Human Evolutionary Biology at Arizona State University, where his research focuses on the evolutionary psychology of the mechanisms that give rise to - and influence - human culture, and how these mechanisms interact with population dynamic processes to shape human cultural variation. Alongside his long-time collaborator, Peter J. Richerson, Boyd has played a crucial role in developing the dual inheritance theory, which examines the co-evolution of genetic and cultural factors. Their influential works, including "Culture and the Evolutionary Process" and "Not by Genes Alone," have reshaped research on human behavior, social organization, and evolutionary dynamics. Boyd's interdisciplinary approach, which integrates anthropology, biology, economics, and psychology, has established him as a central figure in cultural evolution.