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Peter Q. Blair, Ph.D., an associate professor at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education and one of the nation’s leading scholars on labor economics and workforce mobility, will deliver a public lecture at 4 p.m. Thursday in the Doyle Conference Center at St. Bonaventure University.

The talk, “Seeing STARs: What Can We Do to Boost Economic Mobility for American Workers?”, serves as the centerpiece of Blair’s visit as the 2025 Lenna Endowed Visiting Professor. The talk is free and open to the public.

Blair’s research focuses on labor market inequality, occupational licensing, and the future of work. A central theme of his public scholarship is the concept of STARs — workers “Skilled Through Alternative Routes.”

STARs develop expertise through on-the-job experience rather than earning a bachelor’s degree, yet face significant barriers to upward mobility despite possessing skills comparable to degree-holding peers.

Blair’s work, including widely cited National Bureau of Economic Research studies, has helped shape national conversations on removing unnecessary degree requirements and expanding access to high-wage jobs for the 70 million American workers who qualify as STARs.

Dr. Ben Posmanick, assistant professor of finance at St. Bonaventure, nominated Blair for the professorship, emphasizing the breadth of his contributions across disciplines.

In addition to his work as a labor economist, Blair holds degrees in physics and mathematics from Duke University and previously studied physics at Harvard before transitioning to economics, experience that Posmanick said makes him “remarkably versatile in the classroom and uniquely effective in engaging students across the sciences, business and education.”

Posmanick said Blair’s return to St. Bonaventure — his third visit to campus — will have a meaningful impact.

“Peter is not only a scholar of national prominence, he is an educator who genuinely connects with students,” Posmanick said. “His research on STARs has shaped policy in more than two dozen states, and his ability to translate complex economic ideas into conversations that resonate with students makes him an ideal Lenna Visiting Professor.”

Blair’s visit is part of the Lenna Endowed Visiting Professorship, established in 1990 through the generosity of the late Betty S. Lenna Fairbank and Reginald A. Lenna of Jamestown.

The program, jointly sponsored by Jamestown Community College and St. Bonaventure, is designed to bring nationally recognized scholars to both campuses for public lectures and engagement with students, faculty and the broader community.

Blair will be on campus from Dec. 1-5, meeting with classes, speaking with faculty and participating in programming at both St. Bonaventure and JCC.

About the University: The nation’s first Franciscan university, St. Bonaventure is a community committed to transforming the lives of its students inside and outside the classroom, inspiring in them a commitment to academic excellence and lifelong civic engagement. Out of 167 regional universities in the North, St. Bonaventure was ranked #8 for value and #19 overall by U.S. News and World Report (2025).