Economics Forum Offers Several Perspectives

With the Dow comfortably above 13000 and the S&P 500 above 1400—at least as of this writing—can we safely say happy days are here again?

Find out at the Economics and Finance Forecast for 2012–2013 Forum, presented by the Economic and Finance Department on Tuesday, March 27 at 12:15 p.m. in Bulger Communication Center North. The forum has become an annual event since the stock market crash of 2008 marked the beginning of the recent recession. The forum will cover two main topics: the current and future condition of financial markets, and current and future economic conditions from local, national, and international perspectives.

The moderator, Ted Byrley, CFA, is associate professor and chair of economics and finance, past president of the Buffalo Society of Security Analysts, and recipient of the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. Matthew E. Ryan, ’99, senior investment adviser at Merrill Lynch, will take part in the forum, along with Curtis Haynes, Victor Kasper, and Ted Schmidt, associate professors of economic and finance. Schmidt is co-editor of the Heterodox Economics Newsletter.

Byrley said that the forum will help the audience understand current economic indicators and where the national economy is in the business cycle. “You will hear about the current economy from several different perspectives,” said Byrley. “Our faculty members tend to look at economics from very different points of view, including neoclassical and heterodox. If you want to get a clear picture of the world, it’s helpful to examine it from several different angles.” Ryan, a graduate of the program, brings an added dimension to the panel.

The forum is open to the campus community.