December 16, 2011
A team of undergraduate students from The
Peter J. Tobin College of Business reached the highly competitive
semifinal round of this year’s Federal Reserve College FED
Challenge on October 28.
Facing opponents from Hamilton College, and
Columbia, Cornell, Pace and Rutgers Universities, the St. John’s
team of Cristian Oancea, Christian D’aversa, Stalin Rodriguez and
Thomas Ziegelbauer made their mark by employing a unique
presentation concept.
“Our idea was to paint a comprehensive picture
of the state of the economy and what factors contributed to our
current situation. We used a talk show format which allowed us to
stand apart from the other participants who adhered to the standard
Federal Open Market Committee meeting approach,” explained Team
Captain Cristian Oancea. The presenting team was assisted by four
additional TCB students – Kamya Chandra, Patrick Diamitani, Deidre
Smith and Maja Derviskadic.
The months of preparation by the team and
their dedication were proudly recognized by their mentor and team
coach, A. Joyce Furfero, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Economics
and Finance. “This team of talented young women and men was,
indeed, a special one,” said Dr. Furfero. “While previous teams
have come close, this is the first to have reached the semifinals.
I believe their ability to cite specific journal articles and Fed
speeches was critical to our success. Their preparation was
meticulous and their presentation extraordinary. The University
community should be extremely proud of the team’s
accomplishment.”
The College FED Challenge is inspired by the work of the Federal
Open Market Committee. The goal is to encourage undergraduate
students to pursue advanced study in economics and finance as the
basis for subsequent careers. It also aims to open the door to
greater understanding of the U.S. macro economy, the Federal
Reserve System and the implementation of monetary policy and
financial stability.
This year’s District 2 event was sponsored by the Federal Reserve
Bank of New York and the Eastern Economic Association (EEA), a
not-for-profit corporation whose object is to promote educational
and scholarly exchange on economic affairs.
About the Peter J. Tobin College of Business
The Peter J. Tobin College of Business has provided a high-quality
business education for over eighty years, offering individuals from
throughout the world the opportunity to study in New York’s dynamic
business environment. The innovative curriculum emphasizes an
analytic and hands-on understanding of business practice that
prepares graduates to excel in today’s global marketplace.
For additional information about the Peter J. Tobin College of
Business, please contact Asia Hauter at (718) 990-6218, via e-mail
at hautera@stjohns.edu or
visit us at www.stjohns.edu/tobin.