“There’s really a lot that you can do in a field with a background in econometrics in forecasting,” says Kathleen Navin, an economist and director at IHS Markit. She talks about the challenges of economic forecasting during unprecedented times, like the COVID-19 pandemic.

“FRED really is a public service,” says Yvetta Fortova, manager of the economic data tool FRED. She and Maria Arias, FRED data engineer, both of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, discuss their personal stories about moving to the U.S., studying economics and working in the field.

“I think it’s important for kids, young kids in general, to study economics because economics is in our everyday life,” says Ana Maria Santacreu, a senior economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. She talks about her research in international trade and economic growth.

“As economists, a lot of the research that we do in an academic environment affects policy,” says Marie Mora, associate provost for Academic Affairs at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Mora and Lea-Rachel Kosnik, UMSL economics professor, talk about their experiences in the field of economics and their roles at the university. Also, UMSL students discuss why they study economics.

“On one hand it’s nice to be the first of something, I guess, but on the other hand, it’s, like, wow, it’s 2019. How has this happened?” says Mackenzie Alston, an assistant professor at Florida State University and the first African American to receive a Ph.D. in economics from Texas A&M University.

“The more different people we bring into the profession to ask different questions, the more we’re going to learn,” says Paula Tkac, senior vice president and associate research director at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.

“This is the one science that helps to explain my world and my experience the most,” says Daria Sevastianova, associate professor of economics at the University of Southern Indiana. Also, students in USI’s Women in Economics Club discuss why they study economics.

“One reason why the U.S. is still a world leader in terms of academic research is because we bring together so many people from all over the world to come to our graduate schools,” says Oksana Leukhina, a senior economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

“My advice to anyone is just grab every opportunity you can,” says Zanny Minton Beddoes, editor-in-chief of The Economist. She talks about serving as the first female leader of the international news and business publication.

“Economics is not synonymous with finance; we can talk about so many interesting topics, whether it be environmental issues and climate change,” says Tisha Emerson, professor of economics at Baylor University. She discusses her research on the gender gap.