NERA Vice President Dr. Sharon Brown-Hruska chaired a panel discussion entitled "State of the Finance Industry" for students at the Pamplin College of Business at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia on 18 April 2008. On the panel, members of the Virginia Tech Finance Advisory Board discussed their views on a number of critical issues facing students and graduates in the business profession in a period of uncertainty in financial markets and in the economy at large. The panel explored current trends and the future outlook for various markets and businesses given the subprime meltdown and the credit crunch, as well as whether there were lapses in accountability and ethical business practices or a paucity of regulatory controls. Other topics included the role of various structured and derivative products, changes coming for financial institutions and ratings agencies, proposals for regulatory reform, and, most importantly, how graduates can best adapt and contribute to the changing landscape of the finance industry.