Tennessee Tech student presents research at Federal Reserve conference

When the Federal Reserve, the United States' central banking system, hosted its annual Economic Scholars Program earlier this spring in Ohio, a Tennessee Tech University Golden Eagle was front and center.

Gavin Edleson, a junior economics major from Pingree Grove, Illinois, was selected for a highly competitive spot to present his research at the April 21 gathering hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland.

"My experience with the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland was incredibly eye-opening," Edleson said. "I gained valuable insight into the world of professional economics and learned how to better prepare for graduate school, particularly in terms of which undergraduate courses to prioritize. I had the opportunity to speak with not only research assistants but also full-time research economists — an especially exciting moment for me, as this is the career path I hope to pursue."

Edleson's presentation stemmed from research he began in Lecturer Chelsea Dowell's business statistics course.

There, he and classmates Gretchen McGuire, Trent Bilbrey and Malak "Angel" Faisal consulted for iCube, an initiative of Tech's College of Business that leads promotional campaigns for state agencies and departments.

His research paper analyzed the effect of iCube's "Reduce TN Crashes" initiative in partnership with the Tennessee Highway Safety Office. The study suggested that the campaign's events reduced car crashes in every region of the state. It also hypothesized that expanding awareness events to more diverse locations — such as community colleges and other sites beyond high schools — could further reduce crashes.

While Edleson served as Tech's featured presenter at the conference, Dowell brought six other economics students to attend and experience the life of working economists.

Attendees heard research from other universities and networked with members of the Federal Reserve Board. Other Tech students attending the conference included Turner Eades, Emily Green, Jordan Hayenga, Charles Jones, Karis Kane and Emma Tolley.

"This experiential learning opportunity is one that the students will never forget," Dowell said.

Kane, a freshman economics major, said the event was something she "never expected" to experience so early in her time at Tech.

"The conference confirmed to me that I am in the right place and that economics is certainly what I want to pursue," she said. "I have become even more excited to learn and grow with our amazing professors, and I cannot wait to go back and compare how much I learn in the coming years."

The conference capped off a busy semester for Edleson, who was recently inducted into Omicron Delta Epsilon, the international economics honor society. He also received the Tennessee chapter's "Research Excellence Award" for his Federal Reserve presentation.

This fall, Edleson will take on a new role as student editor of the College of Business's Journal for Societal Impact.

"These experiences have deepened my passion for economics and strengthened my motivation to continue pushing myself, not only as an undergraduate but also as I move forward into graduate studies and my future career," he said.

Learn more about Tech's economics program in the College of Business at tntech.edu/majors/economics.php.