Fall 2026 Undergraduate Newsletter Issue 3
Opportunities and events reflect the original newsletter publication date, September 25, 2026.
Internship & Job Opportunities
Research Associate — Federal Reserve Bank of KC
- Deadline: November 30, 2026
- Location: Kansas City, Missouri
- Pay: $59,000 - $76,300
- Best For: economics, statistics, math
- Term: Two years, starting Summer 2027
Apply: Research Associate — Federal Reserve Bank of KC
Spring Economics Intern — Federal Communications Commission, Office of Economics & Analytics
- Informal Deadline: October 15, 2026
- Location: Washington D.C. or remote
- Pay: unpaid
- Best For: Economics and data science
- Term: Part-time; minimum of 12 weeks
Apply: Spring Economics Intern — Federal Communications Commission, Office of Economics & Analytics
Economics Consulting Analyst/Associate Intern — Charles River Associates
- Deadline: Rolling
- Location: Boston, Chicago, New York, Oakland, Salt Lake City, or Washington D.C.
- Pay: $30 – $37.50/hr in Oakland and D.C.
- Best For: Juniors, economics, statistics, mathematics, computer science
- Term: Summer; 8–10 weeks
Apply: Economics Consulting Analyst/Associate Intern — Charles River Associates
Banking & Finance Research Associate — Federal Reserve Bank of KC
- Deadline: November 30, 2026
- Location: Kansas City, Missouri
- Pay: $59,000 - $76,300
- Best For: economics, statistics, math
- Term: Two years, starting Summer 2027
Apply: Banking & Finance Research Associate — Federal Reserve Bank of KC
Student Accomplishments
- Nathan Binshtok ’27 — College Fed Challenge | Fall ’25
- Brett Cranor ’26 — College Fed Challenge | Fall ’25
- Owen Clapp ’27 — College Fed Challenge | Fall ’25
- Zach Dreier ’27 — College Fed Challenge | Fall ’25
- Kushi Patel ’26 — College Fed Challenge | Fall ’25
- Yash Prajapati ’26 — College Fed Challenge | Fall ’25
Share your accomplishments by filling out the student accomplishments form!
Upcoming Events
KU Econ Club Discussion: Is AI Investment a Bubble?
Join the Econ Club for pizza and a meeting discussing whether current investment in AI is a bubble, and the potential effects on the economy if it bursts.
When: October 7, 2026, 5:00pm - 6:00pm. Where: Snow 452.
Student Research Highlight
Crowdfunding Regulations & Securities Fraud
Nathan Binshtok | B.S. ’27
Nathan studies the effect of intrastate crowdfunding exemptions on securities fraud. Specifically, he examines whether fraud increased in states that loosened their crowdfunding regulations.
Nathan's advice to students interested in research is to start by asking professors whether they have ongoing projects. Progress in research is not linear, so expect setbacks and do not be discouraged by them. Be willing to try new approaches and question your initial assumptions.
Nathan is currently pursuing degrees in Economics, Political Science, and Data Science at KU, and plans to attend law school.
Want a chance for your research to be featured? Fill out the student research form!
Economics in Everyday Life: Comparative Advantage
Country A can produce 100 wheat or 50 cloth. Country B can produce 40 of either. With the same amount of resources Country A gets more of both goods, which is the absolute advantage in both. It still gains from trading with Country B.
What governs trade is opportunity cost, not output. 1 cloth costs Country A 2 wheat and costs Country B 1 wheat, so Country B is the cheaper source of cloth measured in cost of wheat. This is comparative advantage. Country A specializes in wheat, Country B in cloth, and they trade at 1.5 wheat per cloth, this is the rate between the 2 opportunity costs which is why the countries accept it. Both countries then each consume beyond what they are able to produce for themselves: Country A keeps its 70 wheat and moves from 15 cloth to 20, Country B keeps 20 cloth and moves from 20 wheat to 30. Combined output between the 2 rises from 90 wheat and 35 cloth to 100 and 40, with no increase in resources.
David Ricardo established this idea in 1817 with “On the Principles of Political Economy and Taxation”. It explains why trade between unequal partners can raise consumption in both, and why firms outsource work they can otherwise do themselves. The model predicts higher total consumption for each country. The argument extends past countries and can be descriptive of any two producers facing differing opportunity costs. Ricardo ultimately changed how economists measure cost: the cost of cloth to Country A is not the labor and land it consumes, but the 2 wheat those resources would have otherwise produced. Two centuries later Ricardo’s prediction that trade raises total consumption has held true. The question left behind is who ends up winning and who loses.
Source: Does International Trade Create Winners and Losers? by Scott A. Wolla and Anna Esenther, Page One Economics, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. The numerical example and figure above are our own.
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