Pace University has won the 22nd annual national College Fed Challenge, a competition designed to give undergraduate students experience in analyzing the U.S. economy and monetary policy. The event, held on Friday, involved teams from across the country who assessed economic and financial conditions and developed policy recommendations similar to those made by the Federal Open Market Committee.
The Pace University team represented the New York District and included Suraj Sharma, Giancarlo Raspanti, Gianna Beck, Brooklyn Bynum, and Alex Tuosto. Alternates were Tri Nguyen, Kristina Nasteva, Gunnar Freeman, Oliver Ng, Sheira Dery, and Amirkhan Mamatov. Gregory Colman served as their adviser.
This year’s challenge saw participation from 139 schools spanning 36 states. Teams either submitted video presentations or took part in local competitions last month. From these entries, 18 semi-finalist teams advanced to question-and-answer sessions earlier this month. Six teams were then selected for the national finals at the Federal Reserve Board.
Harvard College finished second while University of California, Los Angeles placed third. Honorable mentions went to University of Pennsylvania, University of Chicago, and Davidson College.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell commented on the event: “Fed Challenge offers undergraduate students an opportunity to learn firsthand about monetary policy and the work of the Federal Reserve,” said Powell. “I thank these students for the dedication, creativity, and analytical skills they demonstrated as they grappled with real-world economic challenges.”
Teams in the competition were judged based on their economic analysis, answers to judges’ questions, teamwork, and overall presentation.
