Stamford

UConn Stamford Team Competes in the 2025 College Fed Challenge

Posted on December 17, 2025 by McConnel, Mark

UConn Stamford Fed Challenge Team outside of the New York Fed after the Orientation, September 2025. From left to right: Dr. Smirnova (faculty adviser), Alexys Williams, Dmitrii Tuzov (graduate student adviser), Angel Bravo, Anthony Brunetto, Kothan Nieves-Orama, Jagger Ferrajina, Constantine Lampronikos.

In the Fall 2025, the UConn Stamford team participated again in the national College Fed Challenge competition, where teams analyze economic and financial conditions and formulate a monetary policy recommendation, modeling the Federal Open Market Committee. This year, 139 teams participated in the Challenge, so the competition was fierce. The video of the UConn Stamford team is here.

Here is UConn Stamford’s 2025 College Fed Challenge Team:

Angel Bravo is a B.S. Economics major with minors in Accounting & Mathematics at the University of Connecticut, where he focuses on financial markets, economic research, and quantitative analysis. His coursework in econometrics, financial accounting, and programming has equipped him with a strong analytical foundation that supports his long-term goal of becoming a quantitative analyst in the banking industry.

During his time as a team member of the Fall 2025 College Fed Challenge, Angel contributed research on tariffs and monetary policy implementation. Beyond the classroom, he is also conducting research on global economic development and income inequality among countries, which he will present at an undergraduate research conference in New York. Additionally, he is an active member of the Economics Research & Policy Club and participates in UConn’s Honors Program, where he served as a student facilitator to promote academic curiosity, leadership, and student-led initiatives.

With his combined experience in research and student leadership, Angel also hopes to one day pursue college-level teaching in the further future. He is deeply committed to his academic and professional development and looks forward to advancing his studies through future master’s work and a career in quantitative finance.

Anthony Brunetto is a senior majoring in economics. His interest in the Fed Challenge started when he saw the 2024 team take a picture with the current Federal Reserve Chair, Jerome Powell, posted in the hallway, and from that point, he was determined to join the team. His main contribution to the team was researching inflation and how the Fed’s policy impacted bond and stock markets. Anthony, while studying economics, has an interest in wealth management, which is directly affected by the Fed’s monetary policy, so he took Money and Banking and Practicum to expand his knowledge of how the Federal Reserve operates and how money works. Anthony plans to use his knowledge he gained in the Fed challenge, as well as his undergrad studies, to become a wealth advisor post-grad.

Jagger Ferrajina is a senior Economics major at the University of Connecticut with a strong interest in monetary policy, global markets, and international trade. He works in vessel operations at John F. Dillon & Co., where he has gained hands-on experience in dry bulk shipping, charter parties, and global logistics.

He is actively involved in UConn’s Fed Challenge and serves as Vice President of the Economics Research & Policy Club, helping create opportunities for students to engage with economic policy and current events on the Stamford campus. Through both academic and professional experience, Jagger has developed a strong interest in the intersection of economics, finance, and global trade, and he plans to pursue a career in these fields following graduation.

Constantine Lampronikos is a senior Economics Major at the University of Connecticut with strong interest in Finance and relationship-driven business. He has developed hands-on industry experience through internships in both the tanker and dry-bulk sectors of the shipping industry, where he worked on voyage calculations, freight rate analysis, and operational logistics. He is fascinated by the way business systems interconnect across markets, industries, and economic environments.

Throughout his undergraduate schooling, he has balanced full-time coursework with professional commitments. Recently, he maintained an internship at John F. Dillon & Co as well as his job as a server at Columbus Park Trattoria in Stamford, both while actively participating in the Fed Challenge and being enrolled full-time in school. Constantine prides himself on his work ethic, adaptability, and ability to cooperate with others. He is highly motivated and continually searching to meet people, gain fresh insight, and build new skills. Outside of academics, he enjoys fitness, travel, trying new things, all while spending time with friends and family.

Kothan Nieves-Orama is a Junior Economics student accelerating his academic career through the 4+1 Fast-Track program for a master’s in public policy. His academic pursuits are deeply informed by his professional experience as a Relationship Banker, where he gained firsthand insight into the complexities and impacts of the banking sector.

As the Editor-In-Chief for the Economic Research & Policy Club, Kothan merges his passion for economic theory with his avid interest in History and Philosophy. This role, along with his dedication to synthesizing complex information, has catalyzed his interest in teaching and mentorship. He actively cultivates these skills as a Path Mentor for incoming Freshmen and as an Honors Ube-Facilitator, a key leadership position overseeing Honors First-Year Seminar Courses across regional campuses. This extensive background in leadership positions will help Kothan to seamlessly transition into a career dedicated to educating future generations.

Calebe Velozo is a Brazilian student majoring in economics with a minor in information technology. His interest in the Fed Challenge grew through studying how monetary policy influences the broader economy and financial conditions. Calebe also works at Apple, where he acquired skills to understand the financial aspect of our monetary policy presentation. For the Fed Challenge, Calebe focused on understanding key economic indicators and how they guide policy decisions. He plans to use the knowledge gained from this experience, along with his coursework, to continue developing in the fields of economics, technology, and data driven decision making.

Alexys Williams is a junior honors student at UConn majoring in Economics. She developed an interest in economics through her love of geography and a fascination with how countries and markets are interconnected. She enjoys exploring the world’s complexity and understanding how economic systems influence global outcomes.

She has applied her interests through internships in asset management and private equity, gaining experience in market monitoring and macro-financial analysis. Her coursework in Money and Banking and Quantitative Analysis has provided a strong foundation in both theory and practice. She contributed to the Fed Challenge team by researching labor markets, which deepened her understanding of macroeconomic dynamics. Alexys also serves as Secretary of the Economics Research and Policy Council, a club dedicated to promoting economic literacy and engagement on the UConn Stamford campus. Outside of academics, she enjoys photography, cooking, baking, and aviation. She makes it a goal to constantly learn, embrace new challenges, and grow from every experience.

The Graduate Student Adviser to the team was Dmitrii Tuzov.

Dmitrii Tuzov is a graduate student in the MS in Business Analytics & Project Management program, where he is pursuing advanced studies in data science, machine learning, and AI-driven decision-making. Before joining UConn, Dmitrii worked as a financial and investment analyst and later advanced into roles spanning the full data analytics vertical: business analytics, data science and engineering, where he delivered predictive models, cost-control systems, and data pipelines that informed both operational and strategic decisions.

He served as an advisor for the Stamford Fed Challenge team, supporting students in economic analysis, forecasting, and policy communication. In this role, he advised students on collecting, analyzing, and interpreting macroeconomic data; showed forecasting and econometric techniques; and guided the team’s analytical argumentation and preparation of evidence-based economic presentations. Beyond academics, Dmitrii is actively involved in AI/ML research and business initiatives and is passionate about helping younger students grow both technically and professionally.

The value of participation in the College Fed Challenge competition can not be overestimated. In addition to a deep academic leaning about the conduct of monetary policy in the U.S., students develop many career competencies that will be helpful in their various pursuits after graduation.

ECE Economics Workshop 2025

Posted on October 29, 2025October 30, 2025 by McConnel, Mark

Ralph Russo, ECE Economics instructor at Guilford High School, explains the Vertical Wall activity at the ECE workshop on October 22, 2025, at the Stamford campus

The Early College Experience (ECE) Economics program is one of the largest at UConn. This academic year, we have 36 schools participating, with 50 teachers running 72 sections of introductory Economics courses. Through the ECE, we offer ECON 1000- Essentials of Economics, ECON 1202 – Principles of Microeconomics, and ECON 1202 – Principles of Macroeconomics.

Instructors are certified to teach those courses through a rigorous process of professional development events. The 2025 annual professional development workshop was held on October 22, 2025, at the Stamford campus. We had 31 teachers in attendance.

The speakers included national-level economic educators from Federal Reserve Banks of New York and St. Louis, Marginal Revolution University (MRU), a non-profit provider of economic education materials, and MoneyLing, financial literacy non-profit provider.

The agenda was packed with presentations of innovative pedagogies in the engaging environment:

At the Local Level: Classroom Activities for Microeconomics
The Big Picture: Basics for Teaching Macroeconomics
Global Trade: Who Wins, Who Loses, and Why It Matters
The One Where No One Has a Job: Teaching Unemployment and Labor Force Participation Rates
Teaching and Learning Economics with FRED Data in the High School Classroom
Moneyling – Financial Literacy Program for Schools

Participants explored various techniques that would get their students interested in the economic way of thinking, economic analysis, and contemporary economic issues. Instructors came away with the materials that could be immediately used in their classrooms.

Teachers working on the Vertical Wall assignment

A new feature this year was the sharing of “working well in the classroom” technique by the Guilford High School teacher, Ralph Russo, who demonstrated the “Vertical Wall” activity from the “Building Thinking Classrooms” methodology. The photos show how enthusiastic workshop participants were to engage in this activity. Learning from their colleague and trying out how it feels to be a student in this classroom were the highlights of this demonstration.

Overall, the workshop participants shared their satisfaction with the content of the training. The new location in Stamford was advantageous to the instructors located in Fairfield County.

The Economics Department would like to thank the Stamford Events team for helping with the logistics of this workshop.

Stamford Public Economics Students Learn About Public Service

Posted on October 17, 2025 by McConnel, Mark

The curriculum of the Public Economics class includes discussions about government finance. It was then appropriate for students at the Stamford campus in Dr. Smirnova’s class to meet a public official from Stamford. Mr. Gerald R. Bosak Jr. has served Stamford as a member of the Board of Finance, the Board of Education, and currently as a Zoning Board Commissioner. He is aspiring to become Town Clerk of the City of Stamford.

Mr. Bosak shared with students how the City’s finance plans are deliberated and how the University negotiated with the City for the new dormitories’ construction. The most heated discussion evolved around the affordable housing issue as well as the overdevelopment of the City’s beach front. Students had a lot of questions for Mr. Bosak regarding cost-benefit analysis’s role in the policy decisions by the Stamford government. All of these public policy issues connect closely with the course curriculum and with the project students are working on in this class.

Mr. Bosak encouraged students to participate in the local government by attending meetings, voicing their concerns and ideas, and volunteering. In the end, the visit not only related the economic concepts of costs and benefits, budgets, deficits and debt to the actual local government functioning. The visit also inspired students to be active citizens in their communities.

Mr. Jerry Bosak with several students from Dr. Smirnova’s Public Economics class on October 16, 2025, at the Stamford campus — Mr. Jerry Bosak, center, with several students from Dr. Smirnova’s Public Economics class on October 16, 2025, at the Stamford campus.

Frontiers in Undergraduate Research 2025 at Stamford

Posted on April 24, 2025 by McConnel, Mark

Two Economics students, Madina Mamedli and Cole Sembrot presented their research at the Frontiers in Undergraduate Research Exhibition in Stamford on April 22, 2025. Their academic adviser is Professor Smirnova.

Madina’s paper was entitled “From Chalk to Checkbooks: The Real Price of Educational Inequality”. Madina compared the investment in and the outcomes of public and private secondary education institutions in the U.S. Her literature review and regression analysis revealed inadequate funding for public schools, which leads to lower SAT scores, lower college counselor / student ratio, and other disadvantages for students attending public schools. Madina concluded that educational inequality transforms early life privileged into long-term economic advantage. Disparities in school resources, academic support, and access to college counseling directly shape earning potential.

Cole Sembrot discerned fiscal and monetary policies’ impacts on the economy during the pandemic. His paper was entitled “Was COVID Inflation Worse Because of Combined Fiscal and Monetary Expansion?” Cole has built the regression model that examines how much post-COVID inflation is due to the actions of the Federal Reserve: near zero interest rates, QE, balance sheet expansion, and money supply growth, while controlling for supply-side shock. Cole concluded that the post-pandemic inflationary episode is due to a complex interplay between policy and external economic shocks.

Madina Mamedli (’25), Dr. Smirnova, Cole Sembrot (’25)

The event was attended by more than 50 people: students, faculty, and staff. There were guests from the Office of Undergraduate Research and UConn Enrichment Programs as well as Stamford campus administration. The atmosphere of the event was academic in nature, but friendly and supportive. 20 students from various fields of study presented their research results. Experiences like this help students gain confidence and prepare for careers upon graduation.

Storrs and Stamford Fed Challenge Teams at the Open House in Washington, DC

Posted on February 17, 2025 by McConnel, Mark

Storrs Fed Challenge Team at the Open House in Washington, DC — UConn Storrs 2024 Team: from left to right: back row: Professor Derek Johnson (faculty adviser), Spencer Thompson, Viren Chainani, Lilla Korniss, Claire Dobbins, Katrina Melnik, Professor Owen Svalestad (faculty adviser). Front row: Nameeda Elmi, William Infante, Evelyn Zhou and Rai Kumar

The Economics Department students participate in the College Fed Challenge national competition every year. The Storrs team competes in the Boston district of the Federal Reserve System, and the Stamford team competes in New York. In 2024, the Storrs team was a National Finalist, which is an exceptional achievement. In February 2025, both teams travelled to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System in Washington, DC, for an Open House for all participants.

Stamford Fed Challenge Team at the Open House in Washington, DC — UConn Stamford 2024 Team: from left to right: back row: Matthew Dalzell, Thomas Surette, Angelina Solodka, Professor Smirnova (faculty adviser), Paul Juszczyk, Liz Maia, Madina Mamedli, Brenda Leon, Mallory Albrecht, front row: Cole Sembrot and Micthell Velasco.

In addition to summarizing results from the 2024 competition, the agenda of the Open House focused on showcasing various segments of the Fed’s functions and sharing career opportunities available at the Board for graduates with bachelor’s degrees. Participants heard from Brian Bonis, Assistant Secretary of the FOMC, Matt Eichner, Director of the Division of Reserve Bank Operations and Payment Systems, and a panel of former Fed Challenge participants, who are now employed as Research Assistants (RAs) at the Board.

The students of both teams were excited to participate in the Open House and are appreciative of the Economics Department as well as other entities that provided funding for this trip. The sponsors are the Business School, CLAS Dean’s Office, UConn Center for Career Readiness and Life Skills, and Stamford campus administration. Thank you!

Public Economics Students Propose Policy Solutions for Connecticut Waste Management Problem

Posted on November 22, 2024 by McConnel, Mark

During the Fall 2024, the students in the ECON 3431- “Public Economics” course at the Stamford campus worked with the industry professional to research, analyze, and propose policy solutions to the imminent State of Connecticut problem of Solid Waste Management.

The applied nature of the course allowed students to experience every aspect of public policy development from problem identification, ideation, research of the literature, data gathering, analysis, and policy recommendation formulation.

In addition to Professor Smirnova, who is the instructor of this course, the students worked under the mentorship of Mr. Brian Bartram (CLAS’ 94), who has been the manager of the Salisbury/Sharon (CT) Transfer Station in Connecticut since 2007. At that time Salisbury & Sharon were seeking design ideas to be used in the construction of a new transfer station. Since then, Brian has been active in the Northeast Resource Recovery Association, CT Department of Energy & Environmental Protection’s Solid Waste Advisory Committee, and CT Product Stewardship Council. In 2012 he was appointed by Gov. Malloy to be a member of the Modernizing Recycling Working Group. Brian completed the UConn Master Composter Program in 2015.

Students were assigned to groups to imitate the economic think-tank work environment. Each group selected their topic through the process of ideation based on Brian’s presentation about the acute waste management problem in Connecticut. The following research questions were formulated and answered during the semester:

Cost Benefit Analysis of Installing a Methane Capture System at the Manchester, Connecticut Landfill.
Government Policies Promoting Recycling and Landfill Use Reduction.
Where Did Your Old TV Go?
What is the Most Cost-Effective Waste Conversion Technology for Connecticut Municipalities?
How does Connecticut Dispose of Waste Tires?

At the completion of the course, student teams presented their findings to the class with Mr. Bartram visiting the class virtually, asking questions, and commenting on issues. Brian reflected that he “really enjoyed how different student teams were looking at the issue from different angles. Solid waste is a national, regional, state, and local issue. All different views and situations need to be considered and assessed.”

Through this exercise, students learned to collaborate with and present and defend their findings to the industry expert. Collaborative experiences such as this, between UConn students and the State of Connecticut professionals, are invaluable in preparing our students for careers in industries and the public sector. By integrating the workplace analytical approaches into the curriculum of applied courses, we are teaching students career competencies that are demanded of them upon graduation.

UConn Stamford and the Economics Department Senior Citizen Tutoring

Posted on October 3, 2024 by McConnel, Mark

David Ennis, a senior citizen from Stamford, CT, began his journey at UConn Stamford as an audit student in Women and Minorities in the Labor Market, taught by Professor Ritter in Fall 2023. In the Spring of 2024, he continued his studies with Economic Behavior and Health Policy and Development Economics, also under Professor Ritter. These intermediate-level courses combine economic theory with empirical analysis to address key policy-relevant topics.

Professor Ritter welcomed David’s active participation in class, providing him with feedback by grading his assignmnts and exams, even though he was not enrolled for credit. She also integrated him into group work and extended an invitation for him to give a guest lecture in one of her classes.

“David was an excellent student—very active in class and always eager to help his peers. His extensive experience as a long-time consultant in the healthcare sector, along with his general expertise in the labor market, brought a unique and valuable perspective to the classroom. His contributions ranged from insights into general workplace culture to specific topics related to the U.S. healthcare sector. After reading an interesting article he wrote on the Cost and Market Power in the US Healthcare System, which fit perfectly with the focus of my health class, I invited him to give a guest lecture on the subject,” commented Professor Ritter.

“I have to admit, I was also very proud of my younger students for how seamlessly they integrated David into the class and their working groups. They were respectful and welcoming, which reflects the fact that our students are accustomed to being part of a diverse community. At UConn, we actively promote an inclusive environment,” added Professor Ritter.

But David’s involvement with UConn did not stop there. He is now tutoring students for Professor Ritter’s course Women and Minorities in the Labor Market and for students in introductory Economics courses.

“This is a triple-win situation! Students benefit from David’s help, who has already taken the course, was a top student and has a lot of patience. David benefits from continuous interaction with young people, an academic environment, and keeps learning and challenging his knowledge about topics that are interesting to him. And I benefit from having an extra hand to help students that are struggling with the course.” commented Professor Ritter.

“I have really enjoyed learning new things and working with these younger students to improve their understanding of economic concepts. I am grateful to UConn Stamford for affording me this opportunity”, commented David.

None of this would have been possible, however, without the rapid response, flexible approach, and willingness of the Stamford Campus Dean’s Office to integrate the University with the local community.

“We had to find a way to make this happen. David has now joined the Tutoring Center at our campus and students are already reaching out. He’s able to offer his expertise both from his student perspective but also having had a successful career himself.” commented Dr. Laura Tropp, Director of Academic Affairs.

This semester, David is also auditing Public Economics with Professor Smirnova, and his future plans include tutoring Professor Ritter’s course Economic Behavior and Health Policy in the Spring semester and continuing tutoring for introductory Economics courses.

The University of Connecticut offers senior citizens who do not seek degree credit the opportunity to audit undergraduate courses. This opportunity is available to any resident of Connecticut who is 62 or older. Moreover, David’s successful integration as a tutor underscores UConn Stamford’s commitment to enhancing its community outreach. David, Professor Ritter, and the Dean’s Office hope this experience will inspire other professors and senior citizens to explore similar collaborations.

Two Stamford Students Present at Frontiers 2024

Posted on April 30, 2024 by McConnel, Mark

(left to right) Mitchell Velasco (’25), Dr. Smirnova, Matthew Dalzell (’25) at the Frontiers of Undergraduate Research Exhibition, Stamford campus, April 16, 2024

The Welcome Center area at the Stamford campus was crowded on April 16th as the Frontiers of Undergraduate Research 2024 exhibition was about to start. Thirteen undergraduate students from the Stamford campus presented their research on various topics within diverse fields of study.

Among the presenters, there were two students of Professor Smirnova, Matthew Dalzell and Mitchell Velasco. Both started their research in the ECON 3431W – Public Economics course. However, their interest in the topic grew and they continued working on their papers.

Matthew Dalzell’s (‘25) paper entitled “The Impact of Privately Owned Buses on Carbon Dioxide Emissions in Connecticut” written in Spring 2023 was presented at the New York State Economics Association (NYSEA) conference 2023 in October. Matthew’s trip to the conference was sponsored by the Office of Undergraduate Research, for which Matthew is grateful. Matthew acknowledged in his speech the benefits of attending a conference outside UConn. He said that such exposure allowed him to see what students at other universities are doing in terms of research, “rub elbows” with professional economists and distinguished faculty, and gain confidence for his studies and future career aspirations.

Mitchell Velasco’s (‘25) paper entitled “Decarbonization of the US Power Grid and Cost Competitiveness of Renewable Energy Technology” was written in Fall 2023. The Frontiers’ presentation was the first outside-of-the-classroom presentation for Mitchell. Dr. Smirnova encourages Mitchell to continue improving his paper and to submit it to the undergraduate panel at the Eastern Economic Association, the annual conference of which is scheduled for February 2025 in New York City.

The Frontiers event showcased the dedication of the Stamford faculty to undergraduate students’ success and to students’ preparation for careers after graduation.

Career Advice is Shared with Stamford Economics Students

Posted on April 10, 2024April 11, 2024 by McConnel, Mark

Mara Gauger (’13) at the Stamford campus on April 9, 2024

Students in Professor Smirnova’s Financial Economics and Money and Banking classes were visited by UConn Alumna, Mara Gauger (’13) on Tuesday, April 9, 2024.

Mara Gauger graduated from UConn with BA degree in Economics in 2013. After graduation, she worked at Citi, and achieved the level of Assistant Vice President. Since 2016 she works at Deloitte.

Mara Gauger is currently a Senior Manager Deloitte’s Capital Markets practice with extensive experience supporting securities firms and broker-dealers. Mara focuses on assisting firms on topics related to securities operations, trading systems, and risk management programs. At Deloitte, Mara has been a lead in the SEC Rule 613 Consolidated Audit Trail project office as well as assisting firms in their design and implementation of the rule requirements. Mara is also a core member of the Deloitte team supporting SIFMA, ICI, and DTCC’s efforts to analyze the impacts of an accelerated settlement cycle (T+1) since inception.

The goal of Mara’s visit was to familiarize students with careers in the financial sector, and mentor them on how to get their first job upon graduation from UConn with the Economics degree. Mara generously shared her wisdom about how to navigate the process of job and internship search: what to showcase on the resume to stand out; how to network through LinkedIn and HuskyLink; how to prepare for and conduct interviews; how to utilize the Career Center and Career Fairs; and what skills and career competencies are in demand in the marketplace.

Students were able to ask questions pertaining to their career aspirations and their experiences with internships and job search. Students who are seniors were the most vocal and were able to ask the most pointed and specific questions. Students who are juniors and sophomores received a motivational advice to start their networking as early as possible. Mara suggested utilizing HuskyLink as the first step of connecting with the UConn alumni.

Mara Gauger and Natalia Smirnova — Mara Gauger (’13) (right) and Dr. Smirnova at the Stamford campus on April 9, 2024

Mara shared that her visit to UConn is the way to give back to her Alma Mater after working in the financial industry for 10 years. She was very supportive of students’ inquiries and honest about identifying the competitiveness of the industry and challenges of getting the first job out of college. Students took her advice and candid conversation in stride. They were encouraged by Mara to continue their studies, gain career competencies, and confidently showcase their strengths and skills to the employers.

Thank you, Mara Gauger (’13) for visiting us at UConn Stamford. We really appreciate it!

Professor Smirnova Receives Thomas E. Recchio Faculty Coordinator Award for Academic Leadership

Posted on April 1, 2024 by McConnel, Mark

Professor Smirnova was selected to receive 2024 Thomas E. Recchio Faculty Coordinator Award for Academic Leadership for her work with the Early College Experience Program.

This award recognizes a University of Connecticut faculty member serving as the UConn Early College Experience Faculty Coordinator for their discipline in an exemplary or unique fashion.

With over 50 UConn ECE Faculty Coordinators, there is a very competitive nomination pool every year, and the review committee is challenged to identify the top candidates.

In addition to day to day work of innovation, inspiring and empowering ECE Economics instructors at our partner schools throughout the state, and promoting University of Connecticut resources that enhance UConn Early College Experience, Dr. Smirnova received a very strong nomination from the ECE Economics instructor, Colleen Peling from William Hall High School in West Hartford, making it clear that Natalia was a top candidate.

Economics is the biggest UConn ECE cohort with 58 ECE certified Economics instructors representing 42 different partner high schools across the state.

The ECE Office and all ECE Economics instructors from UConn partner schools congratulate Dr. Smirnova on this respected professional achievement and commend her for the steadfast dedication to UConn, all ECE students and Instructors, and the UConn Early College Experience Program.