Students take part in Economic Scholars Program in Dallas

SHREVEPORT, La. (Centenary News Service) — Four students from the Frost School of Business at Centenary College will travel to Dallas, Texas, April 1 to take part in the Economics Scholars Program.

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A collaborative effort between Austin College and the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, the Economic Scholars Program is designed to foster the involvement of undergraduate students of economics in all facets and levels of the research process. The meeting will be held at the Federal Reserve Bank and will include undergraduate economics students from across the country.

The students representing Centenary College include:

Noah O'Dell is a senior Business Economics major from Ponchatoula, La. Noah's paper is "An Investigation into the Characteristics of FOMC Members and the Predictability of a Dissenting Vote." The FOMC is the policy arm of the Federal Reserve. Noah reviewed minutes from all of the FOMC meetings between January 1991 and January 2011, and then tested the data using TOBIT analysis. Noah will be pursuing a Ph.D. in economics after graduation.

Matthew Harris is a senior Business Economics major from Tyler, Texas. Matthew's paper is "Determinants of Alumni Donations to Centenary College of Louisiana." The work was completed using data provided by the College's Office of Advancement. The data was tested using TOBIT and LOGIT analyses. Matthew will be entering law school in the fall 2012.

Wesley Carlisle is a senior Mathematical Economics major from Coushatta, La. Wesley's paper is "College Choice Behavior." The work was completed using data provided by the Centenary College Office of Admissions. The data was tested using LOGIT analysis. Wesley will be attending medical school next fall.

Riley Adams is a senior Economics major from New Orleans. La. Riley's paper is "Green Cars and the Characteristics of their Consumers." Riley is examining data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditures Survey. The data was tested using LOGIT analysis. Riley will be pursuing a Ph.D. in economics after graduation.

All of the papers are the result of original research accomplished in the fall 2010 Econometrics class taught by Dr. Elizabeth Rankin, Professor of Economics.

About Centenary College of Louisiana

Centenary College is a private, four-year arts and sciences college affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Founded in 1825, it is the oldest chartered liberal arts college west of the Mississippi River and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Centenary is one of 16 colleges and universities constituting the Associated Colleges of the South and has been recognized as "One of the Best 373 Colleges" by the Princeton Review and one of "America's Best Colleges" and one of "America's Best Private Colleges" by Forbes.com. In 2008 Centenary College celebrated 100 years in Shreveport and Bossier City.