SXU's Graham School of Management hosts 2nd Annual Economic Summit

Is our economy ready for higher interest rates? What are regional cluster formations? What are the critical issues of recovery after the “Great Recession?” Learn the answers to these pressing questions and more at the 2nd Annual Economic Summit presented by a team of economists from Saint Xavier University’s(SXU) Graham School of Management (GSM) and Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, and hosted by Graham School of Management (GSM). This informative Summit will take place on Friday, Feb. 26 from 7:30 to 9 a.m. in the Metropolitan Club’s East Room, on the 67th floor of the Willis Tower, 233 South Wacker Drive, Chicago.

The Summit consists of a panel discussion moderated by SXU’s Dr. Monzurul Hoque, along with a brief Q&A immediately following. Summit panelists include: William Strauss, senior economist and advisor for the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Dr. Indranil Ghosh, associate professor of economics at GSM, and Dr. Song Wang, assistant professor of finance at GSM.

Each panelist will address the latest economic and financial events and policy changes in the U.S. markets. They will also assess how recent forecasts fit into our expectations for economic trends and policy changes and provide snapshots

of the latest data as well as upcoming market events. Specifically, the panel discussion will focus on the uncertainties in international economies, the real estate sectors and local economies that impact our daily lives.

“We’re honored to have William Strauss join us again this year for the panel discussion,” said Dr. Asghar Sabbaghi, dean and professor at GSM. “We’ll showcase our extensive GSM Business Programs and our partnership with Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago as well as our outstanding faculty who will share their exceptional insight regarding future economic trends.”

Additionally, the event will discuss the critical issues of recovery, and will address how the Fed’s policy changes and forecasts for Euro/U.S. Dollar exchange rate will enable corporate managers to strategize their business priorities and take advantage of these trends in this changing global economy.

William Strauss joined the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago in 1982. As a senior economist and advisor, he is responsible for analyzing the current performance of both the Midwest economy and the manufacturing sector for use in monetary policy. He produces the monthly Chicago Fed Midwest Manufacturing Index and organizes the Bank’s Economic and Automotive Outlook Symposiums. In addition, he conducts several economic workshops and industrial roundtables throughout the year. Strauss holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in economics and geography from the State University of New York at Buffalo, and a Master of Arts degree in economics from Northwestern University. He currently teaches at DePaul University Kellstadt Graduate School of Business, and at the University of Chicago Graham School of Continuing Liberal and Professional Studies.

Dr. Indranil Ghosh is an associate professor of economics at Graham School of Management. He earned his Ph.D. and M.A. in economics from the Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. Dr. Ghosh is currently working on three research studies: Referenda and the Provision of Public Goods; Auction Mechanisms to allocate players - The Indian Premier League; and A Comparison of Online versus In Person Delivery of an MBA level Managerial Economics Class. He will analyze the growth and development of regional cluster formation in the Chicagoland area as well as the economic performance of industries that make up these clusters. The presentation will identify these groups or agglomeration of closely related and complementary industries as well as the synergies that these clusters promote.

Dr. Song Wang is an assistant professor of finance at Graham School of Management. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Central Florida in finance and a M.S. in applied economics from Universität Regensburg in Germany. Dr. Wang has produced numerous papers that have been presented at national and regional conferences. He has been published in journals such as Journal of Banking and Finance, Applied Financial Economic and Managerial Finance. He also served as an anonymous reviewer for Journal of Financial Markets, Journal of Financial Issues and the Midwest Finance Association Conference. Dr. Wang will look at the involvement of global activities of Illinois Companies (Chicago companies and non-Chicago companies) and will compare them with the national level. He will investigate whether globalization promotes revenue and profit of companies and longevity, while controlling size and industry in the empirical testing.

Dr. Monzurul Hoque is a professor of finance and chair of the Graham School’s Department of Economics, Finance, and Quantitative Analysis. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois in economics and a M.S. in finance from the University of Illinois, Urbana, Champaign. Dr. Hoque is the past president of the Academy of Finance. Currently, he serves as the editor of Journal of Finance Issues and a guest editor of Managerial Finance. He has published more than 40 articles in reputed journals like Journal of Risk and Insurance, Managerial Finance, among others. He is the past president of the Academy of Finance and is the editor of Journal of Finance Issues.