Coastal Carolina University students in the University chapter of the Financial Management Association traveled to Richmond, Va., on March 4 for "A Day at the Fed: A Monetary Policy Event of Economic Proportions," designed to give undergraduate students an opportunity to learn about monetary policy and work in a Fed research department.

Kenneth Small, assistant professor of finance, accompanied 10 students to the Richmond Federal Reserve Bank (Fifth District), where they met with its president, Jeffrey Lacker, to learn about the state of the economy, current monetary policy efforts and to address the topic "Could the Fed have seen the financial turmoil coming and should it have responded differently?"

"This is an outstanding and invaluable opportunity for our business students to get firsthand insight into the current challenges and policy decisions in our banking and monetary system during this period of unprecedented financial change," said Henry Lowenstein, dean of the E. Craig Wall Sr. College of Business Administration.

The U.S. Federal Reserve Bank is the nation's central bank and is in charge of the nation's monetary policy. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the Federal Reserve System is organized into 12 districts. The Fifth Federal Reserve District in Richmond, Va., oversees banks and operations in South Carolina, North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and District of Columbia.

Students include:

* Jimmy Doyle, senior finance and economics major from Conway

* Krisztina Szabo, junior finance and economics major originally from Hungary

* Natallia Buraya, senior finance major originally from Belarus

* Christina Mango, senior finance major from Myrtle Beach

* Enzo Ursino, senior finance major from Wolcott, Conn.

* Maria Briggs, senior finance major originally from Russia

* Rob Pommerenke, senior finance major from Roanoke, Va.

* Mike Taylor, senior finance major from Petersburg, Va.

* Tyler Anthony, junior finance major from Bel Air, Md.

* Katlin Wilkes, senior finance major from Charleston