Exploring Economics Conference Broadens Career Horizons for Undergraduates

Each year, undergraduate students from across the region gather for Exploring Economics: From Classroom to Career, a one-day conference designed to open doors, spark curiosity, and expand students’ understanding of the far-reaching world of economics. Now in its seventh year, the event—hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond in partnership with the Robins School of Business and Virginia Commonwealth University’s (VCU) School of Business—continues to grow in impact and intention.

Maia Linask, associate professor of economics, helps organize the conference. Her passion for the conference stems from her own undergraduate experience. “I had a narrow conception of economics,” she said. “This conference is a way to help students see how wide the lens of economics can be. It can address issues of sustainability, poverty, crime, development, and so many policy questions. It’s not only about firms and markets.”

Collaborating with colleagues at VCU and the Richmond Fed is another rewarding part of the work. “It’s meaningful to contribute to a conference that can have real and immediate impact on students,” she added.

The student impact, she says, is unmistakable. The conference provides an environment free from classroom pressures, where students can explore economics through diverse perspectives and real-world applications. “They hear from people with different life experiences,” Linask said. “It demonstrates that not all economists are alike, nor do they think alike. If education is about widening a student’s worldview, this contributes.”

On a practical level, it also opens doors. Students connect with peers from other universities and engage directly with professionals. “It provides career connections and information from a different perspective,” she noted. “We try to showcase a wide variety of career paths because economics majors truly can pursue so many.”

Maia Musial, an Economics and Chinese Studies major who will graduate in December, described her experience as both inspiring and transformative. A long-time attendee of events hosted by the Federal Reserve of Richmond, Musial has found these gatherings invaluable for connecting with professionals and expanding her knowledge. “Normally, I am a more reserved person, but going to these conferences allowed me to develop my communication skills and build my self-confidence,” she said. This year’s conference gave her a clearer sense of how she wants to use her economics education, particularly in applied economics roles.

This year’s event featured keynote speaker Anna Kovner, executive vice president and director of research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. The program included panels, parallel sessions, and a robust networking forum.

Students were exposed to economists working in fields ranging from public policy and development to emerging technologies and behavioral research. Linask noted that students consistently identify different parts of the conference as the most meaningful. “We start with a keynote, move to a panel, then into sessions that highlight what different jobs are like. In the networking session, which included nearly a dozen early-career professionals, students could ask about challenges, aspirations, and how to follow similar paths.”

Alumni also return for the event to hear from industry professionals and engage with undergraduate students from their alma mater.

The outcomes speak for themselves. Linask points to a current student whose academic trajectory changed dramatically after attending the conference. “She identifies this conference as the place that sparked her interest in pursuing a Ph.D. in economics,” Linask said. “She doesn’t come from a family of academics, so this opened a possibility she hadn’t recognized before. That’s exactly what we hope the conference will do—reveal possibilities.”

As the Exploring Economics Conference continues to grow, so does its impact on the next generation of economists—those who will apply economic thinking to some of society’s most pressing challenges. And for students, it’s a rare chance to see just how expansive, inclusive, and opportunity-filled the field of economics can truly be.