Social Insurance 201:
Weekly Seminar Series
Join the Academy and experts across the field for our summer seminars and full-day conferences! Stay tuned for our Summer ’26 schedule.
In addition to their work at placement organizations, students in the Academy’s summer internship programs participate in Social Insurance 201, a weekly seminar series designed to introduce interns to the breadth of topics across the social insurance field. These sessions feature presentations and discussions with leading experts from the Academy’s Membership, offering interns the opportunity to deepen their understanding of current policy issues and engage directly with leaders shaping the field.
The Academy also hosts three full-day conferences, Demystifying Social Insurance, which provide a comprehensive introduction to social insurance programs, policy frameworks, and emerging debates. These convenings bring together experts and early-career professionals for in-depth learning and cross-sector dialogue.
Seminars and conferences are open to interns, Fellows, and young professionals from other organizations, creating a unique space to learn alongside peers from across the social insurance ecosystem.
For more information, please contact Ariella Jailal, Director of Leadership Development & Events, at ajailal@nasi.org.
We are building out our speaker list for Summer 2026!
Our intern seminar schedule for 2025 featured the following presentations:
June 5 | The Philosophical Underpinnings of Social Insurance
- Indivar Dutta-Gupta, Academy Senior Fellow
June 12 | Defining Disability
- Kim Knackstedt, Unlock Access
- Bethany Lilly, Blood Cancer United
June 17 | Demystifying Social Insurance: Part 1
In Conversation: Why should Gen Z and millennials care about social insurance?
- Sabrina Davis, Social Security Works
- Cortney Sanders, Social Security Administration
- Will Raderman, Niskanen Center
Demystifying Social Security
- Kathleen Romig, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
What Americans Want on Social Security
- Joel Eskovitz, AARP
- Tyler Bond, National Institute for Retirement Security
- Elisa Walker, Academy
Interactive: Social Security Solvency Challenge
- Chantel Boyens, Urban Institute
- Jack Smalligan, Urban Institute
- Joel Eskovitz, AARP
- Tyler Bond, National Institute for Retirement Security
- Elisa Walker, Academy
- Kathleen Romig, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
SSI at 50
- Darcy Milburn, The Arc of the US
- Mia Ives-Rublee, Center for American Progress
In Conversation: Demystifying Capitol Hill
- Sam Conchuratt, Senate Finance Committee
- Jennifer Hanson, Ways and Means Committee
June 26 | Social Security and the Congress
- Will Morton, CRS
July 9 | Demystifying Social Insurance: Part 2
Demystifying Medicare
- Jeannie Fuglesten Biniek, Kaiser Family Foundation
Demystifying Medicaid
- Natalie Kean, Justice in Aging
- Gelila Selassie, Justice in Aging
Hot Topic: Work Requirements
- Indivar Dutta-Gupta, Academy Senior Fellow
Demystifying Paid Leave
- Molly Weston-Williamson, Center for American Progress
- Vicki Shabo, New America
July 17 | Understanding the Federal Budget
- Chantel Boyens, Urban Institute
July 24 | Administrative Burden and Public Trust
- Katie Savin, Academy Fellow
- Nev Jones, School of Social Work, University of Pittsburgh
July 30 | Demystifying Social Insurance: Part 3
Workers Compensation
- Tyler Welch, Academy
Demystifying Employee Benefits
- John Slatery, American Federation of Teachers
- Chantel Sheaks, Chamber of Commerce
Unemployment Insurance
- Michele Evermore, Academy Senior Fellow
- Andy Stettner, The Century Foundation
Interactive: Social Insurance x Social Media
- Fabiola Venegas-Ramos, Generations United
- Adina Wambua, Generations United
- Aparna Ramakrishnan, Academy Intern
August 7 | The Poverty Line is Too Low
- Shawn Fremstad, Center for Economic and Policy Research