I N N O VAT I O N
$6.5M
and counting
TU’s student-managed investment fund one of nation’s largest
In TU’s Collins College of Business, expert guidance from skilled faculty combined with real-world experience prepares students to succeed in the world of business. One of the unique and exciting opportunities offered by the college is the chance to partake in the Student Investment Fund (SIF), where business students further their knowledge of financial management by investing real money in real companies. “It’s an opportunity to receive exceptional experiential learning by essentially running a small mutual fund for a semester. This bolsters the resumes of the student analysts as they prepare to graduate because not many students can go to their perspective employers 32 FALL 2023 | UTULSA.EDU/MAGAZINE
and say, ‘Yeah, I managed several million dollars for six months,” said Tally Ferguson, who is now a full-time applied assistant professor of finance after retiring from his role as senior vice president and director of enterprise risk management at BOK Financial. “There are very few student investment funds that are over $6 million, and ours is one of them.”
Tally Ferguson
Students participating in SIF get hands-on experience by managing an investment portfolio built by past TU students over 25 years. Through buying and selling securities and learning about asset allocations, students apply financial theories and models in making actual investment decisions and managing a real portfolio of financial assets. “Complicated. Risky. Intimidating. When people talk to me about investing, these are the words I hear most often. Even for students studying the discipline, finance can be daunting. The Student Investment Fund, along with impactful instructors such as Tally Ferguson and Dr. Anila Madhan, give confidence to students through practical application,” said Apolo Castillo (BSBA ’21, MBA ’22). “There is a high level of stress when managing over $7 million in assets. But after taking the course, I held an advantage as I began my career. The experience of running the fund with friends in an academic environment set exceptional professional standards before entering industry.” Established in 1997-98 with an initial $300,000 pool, the SIF portfolio topped