Fed Challenge—New England Competition
The Fed Challenge is a team competition for college undergraduates that promotes in depth analysis of the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy decisions in relationship to the U.S. macro economy. The Fed Challenge also aims to encourage advanced study of economics and interest in related careers fields.
Watch the 2010 College Fed Challenge Videos 
College Competition
Open to all undergraduates attending four-year colleges and universities in the Boston Fed’s District: MA, ME, NH, RI, VT and CT (excluding Fairfield County, in the NY Fed’s District). The College Competition advances to a national championship.
November 9, 2011
New England Competition at the Boston FedNovember 29, 2011
National Competition at the Board of Governors, Washington DC
Community College Competition
Open to all undergraduates attending two-year colleges in the Boston Fed’s District. The Community College Competition finishes with the New England championship.
December 8, 2011
New England Competition at the Boston Fed
Note: The Boston Fed does not participate in the High School Fed Challenge at this time.
The Task
Each team (3-5 students) has a maximum of 15 minutes to make an oral presentation that:
- Analyzes current economic conditions as of the day of competition;
- Provides the team’s economic forecast for the near term;
- Explains timely issues and risks that should receive special attention in formulating monetary policy; and
- Makes and justifies a team recommendation for Fed monetary policy, encompassing both traditional tools and newer tools as warranted.
Following the team presentation, a panel of judges asks the team questions for a maximum of 15 minutes. Typical questions cover:
- Probes into arguments made or data addressed in the team’s presentation;
- How policy-makers might respond to hypothetical economic scenarios;
- How the Fed makes and implements monetary policy; and
- Probes to determine depth of knowledge of economic data, theory, or conditions.
2010 Fed Challenge New England Results
College
2010 National Champion Team
Bentley University (MA)
(vs. Lafayette College, Northwestern University, Rutgers University-Newark, and Virginia Commonwealth University)
Faculty Advisors: David Gulley, Aaron Jackson
Watch the 2010 College Fed Challenge Videos
Other Participating Colleges
- Boston College (MA)
Faculty Advisors: Robert Murphy, Fabio Ghironi
2010 New England Finalist Team - Boston University (MA)
Faculty Advisor: Todd Idson - Bridgewater State University (MA)
Faculty Advisor: Ilter Bakkal - Brown University (RI)
Faculty Advisor: Peter Howitt - Bryant University (RI)
Faculty Advisors: Ramesh Mohan, Edinaldo Tebaldi, Laurie Bates - Clark University (MA)
Faculty Advisors: Chang Hong, Wayne Gray - Dartmouth College (NH)
Faculty Advisor: Elisabeth Curtis - Framingham State University (MA)
Faculty Advisors: Michael Enz, Fahlino Sjuib - Harvard College (MA)
Faculty Advisor: Benjamin Friedman - Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MA)
Faculty Advisor: William Wheaton
2010 New England Finalist Team - Middlebury College (VT)
Faculty Advisor: Scott Pardee - Northeastern University (MA)
Faculty Advisor: Oscar Brookins - Quinnipiac University (CT)
Faculty Advisor: Robert Porter - Salem State University (MA)
Faculty Advisor: Dorothy Siden - Tufts University (MA)
Faculty Advisors: Christopher McHugh, David Garman, Edward Kutsoati
2010 New England First Runner-Up Team - University of New Hampshire (NH)
Faculty Advisor: Stephen Ciccone - Western New England College (MA)
Faculty Advisors: Arthur Schiller Casimir, Anita Dancs, Karl Petrick - Yale University (CT)
Faculty Advisor: Ray Fair
Community College
2010 New England Champion Team
North Shore Community College (MA)
Faculty Advisor: Moonsu Han
Other Participating Community Colleges
- Gateway Community College (CT)
Faculty Advisor: Lorraine Li - Middlesex Community College (MA)
Faculty Advisors: John Femia, Robert Awkward, Robert Kaulfuss - Roxbury Community College (MA)
Faculty Advisors: Nasreen Latif, Judy Kahalas
