Presenting on monetary policy recommendations based on real-world economic research
October 2025 – Drew University economics students recently participated in the first round of the National College Fed Challenge, hosted by the Federal Reserve Board of Governors and the Federal Reserve Banks.
The challenge is an annual nationwide team competition where undergraduate students analyze economic and financial conditions and develop a monetary policy recommendation on whether the Fed should increase or decrease interest rates, modeling the Federal Open Market Committee.
Representing Drew were Ashish Gupta C’28, Melanie Molina C’27, Eberardo Perez C’27, Erik Rothman C’27, and Sarah Silverberg C’26, with Karen Smith, assistant professor of economics, as the team’s advisor.
The Drew team submitted a 15-minute video presentation, which was evaluated and scored by a panel of judges on economic analysis, presentation skills, and teamwork.
The Drew team spent weeks analyzing economic and financial data related to employment, inflation, and financial markets, as well as speeches made by leading economists and Federal Reserve officials, to inform their central bank policy recommendation.
“I came to one very awing realization: As a Drew student, I’m able to actively compete and gain exposure to opportunities that are also available at larger universities,” said Rothman. “Our team’s participation in this competition provides a tangible example of the opportunities afforded to Drew students.”
“From the experience participating in the National College Fed Challenge, I have gained many transferable skills which I can take anywhere,” added Silverberg. “As a senior, this gives me a new perspective on what I may want to pursue post-graduation. Having previously worked with qualitative research, this challenge gave me the opportunity to gain quantitative skills and interpret empirical data in real time. Participating in this challenge has not only broadened my job opportunities, but piqued my interest in careers I hadn’t thought of pursuing prior.”
The top 18 teams will be announced next week. These semifinalists will participate in a virtual Q&A to determine a set of six finalists. Finalists will present in person at the Fed and undergo a final in-person Q&A to select the winning team.
