West Virginia Record

HUNTINGTON -– Two students taking an economics class in the Marshall University Lewis College of Business have been selected to be among 12 finalists who will present their ideas to a panel of top U.S. economists and policy makers during the National Economics Insider Symposium this summer.

While taking Principles of Microeconomics, Natalie J. Faulk, a senior education student from Hartford, W.Va., and Jerica D. Hall, a sophomore management major from Hurricane, W.Va., wrote winning papers for the competition. They will travel to Washington, D.C., June 11-12 to make their presentations to a Nobel Prize winner in economics, a White House economic adviser, and a member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, among others.

Economics and finance adjunct professor Ralph E. McKinney Jr., nominated the students.

"Marshall University is fortunate to have two of 12 finalists for this honor. This speaks highly of our commitment to research and education," McKinney said.

Contestants could submit essays on one of the following economic issues: health care; the environment; education; housing; technology; or other economic issues needing to be addressed. Faulk wrote about Cap and Trade. Hall wrote about the effect of oil and gas costs on shipping costs. They will be competing for a top prize at the event.

While in Washington, finalists will present to Ben Bernanke, chairmen and member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; Paul R. Krugman, winner of the 2008 Nobel Prize in Economics; Olivier Blanchard, Economic Counselor and Director of Research Department of the International Monetary Fund; R. Glenn Hubbard, former Chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisors; Karl E. Case, the Katherine Coman and A. Barton Hepburn Professor of Economics at Wellesley College; Frederic S. Mishkin, former Board of Governors member of the Federal Reserve; as well as the following research associates from the National Bureau of Economic Research: Daron Acemoglu (Massachusetts Institute of Technology); David I. Laibson (Harvard University); and John List (University of Chicago).

Students will also tour the Federal Reserve and the White House.

The National Economics Insider Symposium is an exclusive event sponsored by Pearson Higher Education, a publishing company that offers textbooks under the brands Addison-Wesley, Allyn & Bacon, Benjamin Cummings, Longman, Merrill and Prentice Hall.