Archway Investment Fund provides students with real-life experience

Academic program allows students to learn investment principles by managing a real portfolio.

From March 27-29, 17 students who are part of Bryant’s Archway Investment Fund (AIF) are taking part in the conference “Redefining Investment Strategy Education” at Dayton University in Ohio. The program is modeled after the World Economic Forum that is held each year in Davos, Switzerland. On Thursday at the close of business, one of Bryant’s own, Greg Golino ’09 (Sandy Hook, CT), took part in the first Nasdaq remote closing bell ever held at a college campus.

The student-run AIF, which was established in 2005, allows students to use their classroom knowledge to research and buy stocks with money given by the Bryant Board of Trustees. Currently, the fund is worth about $525,000. During the fall semester, the AIF outperformed their S&P 500 benchmark by nearly 4.5 percent – the widest margin the fund has realized thus far.

The AIF is separated into two classes that interact and work together to manage the fund. Students in “Securities Analysis” (FIN450) are split into groups that research and recommend stocks to buy in particular sectors including financial, healthcare, and technology. In “Portfolio Management” (FIN454), students develop their skills by managing a real securities portfolio and interacting with the securities analysis students. The Executive Committee helps set the tone for the fund by overseeing the committees, setting the weights of each sector in the portfolio, and making final investment approval.

Fall semester 2007 "Portfolio Management."

“The Archway Investment Fund has taught me more than any class I have taken at Bryant,” says Mark Miceli ’08 (Nashua, NH). Miceli has accepted an offer from United Technologies Corporation to be part of their two-year Financial Leadership Program.

Jonathan Tan ’08 (Franklin, MA), says “I’ve obtained a solid foundation and understanding of analyzing stocks and managing a portfolio.” His experience with the AIF helped him earn an internship with Banc of America Securities, LLC in New York City last summer and, ultimately, a position as a healthcare sector specialist at Fidelity Investments in Boston upon graduation.

Fall semester 2007 "Securities Analysis."

Bennett Turner ’08 (Rochester, NH), will begin working at Liberty Mutual as an associate financial analyst in the corporate treasury department in July. “After my work with the Archway Fund, I am confident I can take what I have learned in the classroom and apply it directly to what is happening in the business world,” says Turner.

Michael Oliveri ’08 (Grafton, MA) says his experience in the AIF gave him a great deal of practical experience to present to potential employers. After graduation, he will begin working at PricewaterhouseCoopers.

“The AIF has allowed me to see firsthand how an actual investment fund is operated,” says Oliveri.

(L-R) Fall semester 2007 Executive Committee members Michael Oliveri, Mark Miceli, Kristofer Hart, Bennett Turner, and Jonathan Tan ’08.

Kristofer Hart ’08 (East Longmeadow, MA) feels he will use many of the skills he gained as a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley after graduation. “I would highly recommend any student going into the finance field to take these classes,” he says.

Cameron Scott ’08 (Altavista, VA) took part in the “Securities Analysis” class last semester and is now part of “Portfolio Management” course. “It is interesting to see companies we analyze and select grow or diminish in value – and the reaction we had to the changes,” he says.

(L-R) Fall semester 2007 Financials Sector members Grady Moore ’08 (Canandaigua, NY), Anthony Delmonico '08 (Johnston, RI), Jason Zilewicz '08 (Longmeadow, MA), Jeffrey Haydock ’08 (Exeter, NH), and Joshua Lopes '08 (Torrington, CT).

Grady Moore ’08 (Canandaigua, NY) also advanced into the “Portfolio Management” class this semester. “I have been able to walk into interviews with a vast knowledge of the current turbulent market,” he says.

Jeff Haydock ’08 (Exeter, NH) is pursuing a career in financial advising, while Gregory Mello ’08 (Norwood, MA) is in the process of interviewing for a position with the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. Both students were part of last semester’s “Securities Analysis” class and are currently enrolled in “Portfolio Management.”

(L-R) Fall semester 2007 Technology Sector members Gregory Mello ’08 (Norwood, MA), Samarth Patel '08 (Westborough, MA), Pablo Madera ’08 (Brewster, MA), Henri Proutt ’08 (Charlotte, VT).

Jonathan Kneath ’08 (Cranston, RI) hopes his experience with the AIF will help him to establish his own financial consulting firm some day.

Dave Louton, professor of finance and coordinator of the AIF, says “I expect the Archway Investment Fund students to come away from this experience with a more complete and integrated understanding of how companies work, why some companies are more successful than others, and what it means in terms of their investment value.”

(L-R) Finance Professor and Archway Investment Fund Coordinator Dave Louton and Nicholas Bohnsack ’00, COO of Strategas Research Partners, who moderated a panel discussion as part of the Archway Investment Fund Annual Financial Services Forum.

In February, Bryant, Fidelity Investments, and Strategas Research Partners presented the Archway Investment Fund Annual Financial Services Forum. The event included a panel discussion moderated by Nicholas Bohnsack ’00, COO of Strategas Research Partners, and a keynote address by Ren Cheng, CIO of the Global Asset Allocation Group at the Fidelity Management and Research Company.

Ren Cheng, CIO of the Global Asset Allocation Group at the Fidelity Management and Research Company, who gave the keynote address at the Archway Investment Fund Annual Financial Services Forum.