More than 350 participants from 53 universities joined industry professionals in Chicago on October 5 – 6, 2023, for Indiana State University’s Student Managed Investment Fund Consortium (SMIFC) Conference presented by the Scott College of Business. The SMIFC was formed from just a small community of institutions in 2013 to now representing 153 universities worldwide. With a purpose of providing experiential learning, recording best practices involving investment management, and professional development for students, the main activity is the annual SMIFC Conference. The student-centered conference this year featured thought leaders, tours of key financial organizations, student competitions, and industry networking. Speakers at the event included experts from BlackRock, Cboe Global Markets, Charles Schwab, CMT Association, Federal Reserve Board, First Trust, Morningstar and 548 Enterprise, among others.
Students also demonstrated their investing knowledge through multiple competitions, including (1) a poster session featuring each school’s student managed investment fund and (2) a portfolio building project. Teams were judged on fund performance, visual quality, presentation of results, and overall analysis. Florida Gulf Coast University took first place in the poster competition winning the $1,000 cash prize, followed by the American University of Beirut in second receiving $800, and Austin Peay State University placing third winning $700. In turn, Northern Illinois University won first place in the portfolio building competition receiving a $1,500 cash prize with the student team from the American University of Beirut again finishing second receiving $1,000. Third place resulted in a tie between Eastern Michigan University and Hofstra University for the $500 award.
“The 2023 SMIFC conference was a tremendous success and I congratulate the winning students and schools,” states Dr. Tarek Zaher, SMIFC Founder and Conference Chair. “The event continues to grow each year because of the dedication of all involved in delivering a high-quality educational experience for students. This was our tenth year, and I am proud to be able to consistently serve our partner schools.”
Dr. Terry Daugherty Dean of the Scott College of Business states, “The conference is truly unique because it brings so many different universities together with finance professionals for one common goal – to help students develop. Students are able learn from leading executives while also engaging in friendly competition, which I believe enhances their overall experience.”
To learn more about SMIFC and the conference you may visit www.smifc.org.
The winning university teams were:
SMIFC Poster Session
First Place: Florida Gulf Coast University—Adam Mirzoev, Ben Hermiston, Lily Hobson, Paul Reisinger, Dr. Ronald Mushouk (Advisor)
Second Place: American University of Beirut—Mohammad Hayek, Tina Abou Rjeili, Maya Zgheib, Dr. Wassim Dbouk (Advisor)
Third Place: Austin Peay State University—Stewart Black, Samuel Clark, Keith Groll, Thomas Pyron, Devin Malone, Kade Tjaarda, Janine Trost, Dr. Dông Y. Nyonna (Advisor)
SMIFC Portfolio Building Competition
First Place: Northern Illinois University—Jeremy Katsogianos Adrowski, Olivia Lockwood, Angel Rodriquez, Dr. Gina Nicolosi (Advisor)
Second Place: American University of Beirut—Mohammad Hayek, Tina Abou Rjeili, Maya Zgheib, Dr. Wassim Dbouk (Advisor)
Third Place: Eastern Michigan University—Matthew Drake, Matias Martinez Ekkel, Evan Koorhan, Dr. Yu Zhang (Advisor)
Third Place: Hofstra University—Valery Londono, Kevin McDermott, Nadya Svidzerskaya, Dr. Edward J. Zychowicz (Advisor)