KENNESAW, Ga. | Feb 23, 2017

Students advance to national championship

Members of the Kennesaw State University Student Management Investment Fund in the Coles College of Business recently earned top honors in the CFA Institute Research Challenge Southern Classic.

Kennesaw State’s SMIF team of Erica Moody, Andrew Hedden, Patrick Lim, Eli Hogan and John Foster took the top spot in the finals against teams from Clemson University and the University of Georgia. They advanced to the North American Championship that will be held in Seattle in April. Moody and Hogan also are part of the Coles College Scholar program.

“This year is Kennesaw State’s first time ever competing in the CFA Institute Research Challenge, so we certainly are excited about our win in the 2017 Classic,” said Moody, an economics major. “We are looking forward to perfecting our presentation and moving on to compete in Seattle. We hope to bring home another win to KSU and Coles College.”

Hosted this year by Kennesaw State University, the Southern Classic is an annual global competition that showcases finance and economics students by providing hands-on mentoring and training in financial analysis. Teams from five states participated.

Students from each school worked as a team to research and evaluate a publicly traded company and presented their analysis to a panel of industry professionals. Faculty coach Vic Wakeling, senior lecturer of finance, and industry expert Brandon Pickett guided Kennesaw State’s team to their victory.

“The guidance Professor Vic Wakeling gave us is so appreciated. It’s not every day that one finds a professor so devoted to helping his students succeed, and he has been just that,” Moody said. “Through the competition, we’ve learned so much about report writing and presentation skills, in addition to equity research best practices. I believe this win confirms the quality of education, as well as the personal and professional development, that we have received through the Coles College of Business and through our participation in the KSU Student Managed Investment Fund.”

Govind Hariharan, SMIF faculty advisor, said: “We are very proud of this team of students and Professor Wakeling, and the work they put into this competition. The endowment of the SMIF program by the Henssler Financial Group has helped us to develop and showcase the best students in the world of finance and economics. These students have a lot to offer, and being chosen as the winners of this competition amongst other top universities in the South solidifies their accomplishments both in this program and in their studies at Coles College and Kennesaw State.”

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 47,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.