St. Lawrence University to Host Virtual Event with Federal Reserve Bank of New York President Sept. 8
As part of a series of meetings to hear about and discuss regional economic issues, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s President and CEO, John C. Williams, will give prepared remarks and take part in a moderated discussion at an event hosted by St. Lawrence University on Wednesday, September 8.
The event is free and open to students, faculty, and staff at St. Lawrence and area colleges, as well as local business leaders and the general public.
Williams’ remarks will focus on the economic outlook and monetary policy, while the conversation and Q & A session will center on economic trends and the outlook for the North Country in the context of his discussions with stakeholders in the region.
In 2020, a team of St. Lawrence students placed second in the country in the Fed Challenge, a college-level competition that encourages students to learn about the U.S. economy, monetary policymaking, and the role of the Federal Reserve System while playing the role of monetary policymakers, analyzing economic conditions, and recommending a course for monetary policy. Charles A. Dana Professor of Economics Cynthia Bansak, one of the event organizers for Williams’ visit, has taught a Federal Reserve course at St. Lawrence since 2008 and mentored the University’s Fed Challenge teams in regional and national competitions. Through her course, students learn monetary theory to keep up to date on current economic conditions and prepare for the Fed Challenge.
“President Williams’ visit is a great opportunity for our students to hear directly from and interact with a senior member of the country’s central bank, ask questions, and express concerns directly to the person who can do something about the challenges facing the U.S. economy,” Bansak said.
Williams became the 11th president and chief executive officer of the New York Fed in June 2018. He serves as the vice-chairman and as a permanent voting member of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC). Williams has been a strong advocate for policies to stimulate the economy and get Americans back to work in the wake of the Great Recession. He has produced seminal research on such critical monetary policy issues as the Zero Lower Bound (ZLB) and the neutral rate of interest (known as r* or r-star).
The event hosted by St. Lawrence University is part of a series of engagements taking place virtually September 7 and 8 where Williams will meet with North Country leaders in business, government, education, and community development. These are part of the New York Fed’s ongoing efforts to assess economic conditions across the Federal Reserve's Second District.
