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Research Associates

Research analysts discuss their work

The primary mission of the St. Louis Fed Research Division is to provide high-quality, timely advice to the Bank’s president about monetary policy and banking issues. Producing and communicating important economic research in areas such as macroeconomics, international economics, and regional economics are also crucial components of the Division’s responsibilities.

Working with the Division’s economists, research associates (RAs) at the St. Louis Fed play an integral role in achieving these objectives. To learn more about the position and apply visit https://research.stlouisfed.org/RAjobs.





Current Research Associates



Jason Dunn

Jason Dunn

Senior Research Associate

Started at the St. Louis Fed:  July 2021
University/College: Colby College
Major: Economics and History

Jason says: "The St. Louis Fed RA position provides me with the ideal experience between my undergraduate and future graduate education. Exposure to the full extent of the research process is integral in understanding the nature of economics and my interest in the field. The job also complements the theoretical learning in undergrad with more technical programming, which is essential in carrying out ideas effectively and efficiently. Most of all, being surrounded by individuals with significant levels of intellectual curiosity continues to motivate me every day in the pursuit of knowledge."



John (Jack) Fuller

John (Jack) Fuller

Research Associate

Started at the St. Louis Fed:  June 2022
University/College: Arizona State University (undergrad) and Saint Louis University (masters)
Major: Economics and Geography

Jack says: “After moving east to St. Louis for my masters, I knew I wanted to continue to build on what I learned from my time back in the desert. This position allows me to not only improve my technical skills, but also widen my perspective in economics from a talented group of economists and fellow research associates. It has overall been a rewarding experience and I am excited to come to work each day and to continue to improve my research capabilities while working with a great group of people." 



Sam Jordan-Wood

Samuel Jordan-Wood

Senior Research Associate

Started at the St. Louis Fed:  July 2021
University/College: University of Minnesota
Major: Economics

Sam says: "Coming out of undergraduate I knew I wanted to be a researcher, because it provides a unique opportunity to spend your day thinking about interesting topics and trying to solve problems. Working at the Federal Reserve gives you the chance to do research with extremely intelligent economists and coworkers. The St. Louis Fed is one of the few that pairs you directly with economists, facilitating strong relationships. You learn more about coding, data, economics, math, and statistics every day. If you are curious about the world, this is the perfect environment." 



Amy Smaldone

Amy Smaldone

Senior Research Associate

Started at the St. Louis Fed:  July 2021
University/College: Rutgers University
Major: Economics and Mathematics

Amy says: "After graduating college, I knew I wanted to continue to explore economic research and working here at the St Louis Fed gives me that chance. Here, I am able to continue to develop my analytical and programming skills, all the while collaborating with and learning from economists and other RAs. This is a fantastic experience that I am grateful to have."



Ashley Stewart

Ashley Stewart

Research Associate

Started at the St. Louis Fed:  July 2022
University/College: Sewanee: The University of the South
Major: Economics with a minor in Mathematics

Ashley says: “Upon graduation, I knew I wanted to immerse myself in economic research and felt the St. Louis Fed would be the perfect environment for that. As a research associate, I work closely with other capable RAs as well as experienced economists who help strengthen my programming and statistical analysis skills and deepen my economic knowledge. Every day at the St. Louis Fed is an opportunity to learn something new and take on a different challenge.”



Trần Khánh Ngân

Trần Khánh Ngân (Ngân Trần)

Research Associate

Started at the St. Louis Fed: February 2022
University/College: Mount Holyoke College
Major: Economics with a minor in Mathematics

Ngân says: "My education in the liberal arts at Mount Holyoke fostered my sense of curiosity and taught me the importance of asking good questions. I wanted to nurture my curiosity beyond graduation, which is why I decided to come back as a fulltime RA after interning in the Research Department. So far, I have had the opportunity to get immersed in every step of the academic research process, from forming research questions to collecting and analyzing data, to writing and editing. I am excited to continue learning and growing as a researcher."