SUNY Oneonta Students Make Semifinals in National College Fed Challenge

Five SUNY Oneonta students created a virtual presentation to advance to the semifinal round this fall for the National College Fed Challenge, a team competition for undergraduate students inspired by the work of the Federal Open Market Committee. The competition encourages students to learn more about the United States macro economy, the Federal Reserve System and the implementation of monetary policy.

Teams from 119 colleges and universities across six districts submitted recorded presentations for the Federal Reserve to review. The SUNY Oneonta students were among 18 teams who made it to the semifinal round, and only six teams advanced to the final round.

To prepare for the presentation, SUNY Oneonta students worked closely with faculty from the Economics, Education and Political Science departments. They learned how to research economic indicators, create complex graphs using Excel and link economic theory to current economic conditions.

Students who participated in the Fed Challenge enrolled in Econ 3216, the College Fed Challenge Preparation course offered each fall semester. This three-credit course is offered on a condensed schedule that concludes in early November. This year's course, taught by Associate Professor of Economics Babatunde Aiyemo, finished on Tuesday, Nov. 12, and the students learned of their placement in the semifinals shortly thereafter.

"Dr. Christine Storrie and the late Dr. David Ring are the individuals who set up the infrastructure upon which the current team was able to achieve this milestone," said Aiyemo.

"The College Federal Challenge Preparation course provides an experiential learning opportunity unlike any other," said Storrie, an associate professor of economics who has taught the course in past years. "It gives students a hands-on opportunity to work with a team on a common goal in a fast-paced environment against a tight deadline."