SMITH FINANCE FACULTY: A TRULY VALUABLE ASSET

"The finance faculty at Smith has far exceeded my expectations.  In particular, Professor Meg VanDeWeghe is a wonderful asset for the school.  With over a decade of Wall Street experience, she brings a wealth of real-world experience to the school and her teaching style is extremely practical.  Additionally, she has held workshops such as "Careers in Finance" and "frequently asked finance interview questions", to help students focus and prepare for potential interviews.  These workshops, coupled with the knowledge that I have learned in classes such as Investment Management have prepared me well to contribute to Sandler O'Neill this upcoming summer, as a summer associate.  Finally, I'm very excited about taking electives such as Fixed Income Securities and Equity Analysis next semester.  It is very comforting to know that there is a team of excellent faculty member here at Smith that will support me as I embark on a career in finance."
- Jeff Palmese, 1^st Year Finance Major

The finance faculty at the Smith School has a distinguished record of research accomplishments and professional leadership. The research and external activities of the finance faculty keep them on the leading edge of financial theory and practice. This translates into excellent learning opportunities for students who may choose from a wide spectrum of courses.

Each member of the staff adds value to the challenging and comprehensive finance concentrations which provide an understanding of how companies, institutions, and individuals make investments, raise capital, and manage risk in a dynamic financial environment. 

• The area of investments provides rigorous analytical tools for the measurement of risk-return tradeoffs in financial markets and the allocation of capital in the financial economy.

• The area of corporate finance provides an understanding of how capital is raised, risk is managed, and companies are governed in the corporate sector.

• The finance curriculum also provides opportunities to better understand ways in which derivative securities can be used in managing risk in corporations as well as in investment portfolios.

Finance courses can be taken as individual electives or combined into finance concentrations, including the cross-functional Financial Engineering concentration.  Resources such as the Financial Markets Lab, and offerings such as the Mayer Fund, New Markets Growth Fund, and the Finance Association provide real-world application, networking within the industry, career development and other valuable opportunities to maximize the Smith finance experience.

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ADMISSION TIPS

April is decision time for many MBA program applicants, and if you have the opportunity to visit our campus and the College Park area, it is highly recommended!

By visiting the campus, you have the opportunity to –

• Get a feel for the culture and atmosphere of the business school and university community.
• See where your classes will be held, and learn more about Smith’s resources available to MBA students.
• Learn more about university wide and Smith school activities, functions, and networking events. There is a lot going on at the University of Maryland!
• Find out more about housing opportunities, where Smith students live, work, and play.

Learn as much as you can about Smith! By getting to know more about our culture, social and networking events, facilities, and the surrounding community, you will be better equipped  to make a decision that will best suit your long term goals and needs. We are looking forward to meeting you next time you are in the area!

One last thing to note, April is the final month in spring 2004 for our admissions visitor’s program; Monday or Thursday with the Vibe. We have 4 dates in the month of April where you can come and spend a few hours getting to know more about the Smith School through interaction with current students and faculty, tours of Van Munching Hall, a class, and presentations from the admissions and Vibe teams. Visit us at www.rhsmith.umd.edu for further information and to register to attend a Vibe event.

For those interested in the part-time MBA program, a number of part-time information sessions will also be taking place throughout the month of April. Learn more about the evening and weekend program at DC, and the evening programs at Shady Grove and Baltimore. Visit www.rhsmith.umd.edu for further details and to register to attend a part-time information session.

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CLUB FOCUS: FINANCE ASSOCIATION

The Finance Association works to prepare students for opportunities in finance-related careers and enhance student's knowledge and understanding of the field.  It helps students achieve their career goals through workshops such as mock interviews, resume reviews, job finding strategy sessions, and seminars on careers in finance.  The Association also contributes to the knowledge base of its members through functions such as panel discussions that explore a variety of finance-related topics, sponsoring talks by leading professionals in the finance field, and arranging networking events designed to help students meet professionals, alumni, and other students.

Another invaluable benefit is the opportunity to share and gain insight with peers with industry experience.  For example, click on the names of the executive team members below to get a sense of the people that participate in the organization:

Dean Flynn, Co-President
Malika Oyo, Co-President
Mike Biggica, Treasurer
Ignacio Rodriguez, Vice President of Professional Development
Nirav Seth, Vice President of External Relations

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SMITH SPOTLIGHT: MAYER FUND

Alex Frum
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
Undergrad Institution: United States Military Academy
Undergrad Major: European History
Previous work experience: Captain, U.S. Army
MBA focus: Finance
Smith Activities: VP Finance Association, Co-Chair of eNGAGE, Portfolio Manager of the Mayer Fun
Internship:  Bear Stearns
Post-MBA plans: Bear Stearns, Associate, Fixed Income Sales & Trading

“The Mayer Fund is one of those unique opportunities to gain practical experience in my chosen career field while still a student.  It provided me with the knowledge and experience necessary to understand and apply valuation, securities analysis, and portfolio management techniques, as well as develop my understanding of the markets.  With the strong base I have developed as a member of the Mayer Fund, my future potential is only enhanced.”

The Mayer Fund is an equity fund run by a select group of second-year MBA students who comprise a management team of two portfolio managers and ten equity analysts.  The goal of the Mayer Fund is to achieve capital appreciation by capturing the superior returns that equity investments have historically provided. The Fund's long-term performance goal is to outpace the appreciation of the S&P 500 on a risk-adjusted basis. Although the primary goal of the fund is to achieve capital appreciation, it is just as important that each member learns the processes by which investment decisions are made in a professional asset management setting.  The Mayer Fund provides students the valuable opportunity to:

• Gain exposure to a real-life asset management environment

• Develop financial modeling skills

• Acquire experience that is attractive to employers

• Network with previous fund members in investment banking, asset management, corporate finance, and consulting careers

CLICK HERE to see the portfolio performance
CLICK HERE to see the holdings 

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BEYOND THE CLASSROOM: DAY OF ASIA

Students, faculty, and staff joined in together at Smith to celebrate the Lunar New Year, the most important festival in eastern Asian countries, on February 12, 2004.  Smith’s Asian MBA Association (AMBAA) sponsored its first “Day of Asia” to share Asian culture through food, beverages, music, movies, and more.  Some people stopped by the Japanese Origami table to learn how to make beautiful paper crafts, while others queued up to have their names written in Chinese Calligraphy.  Of course, most of the crowds were around the food. Attendees enjoyed the Korean stir-fried clear noodles, sushi, sticky rice dumplings, spicy pork, and Thai tea, to name a few things. 

Day of Asia provided me with a brief glimpse into Asian culture and traditions. Events such as this give me the chance to learn more about the differences and commonalities between peers and myself.  It was a great opportunity to strengthen the personal connection with my colleagues on more than just an academic or career-oriented level.
- Amanda Morgan, second-year MBA (pictured 2^nd from left)

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Q&A: SMITH PERSPECTIVE

Katherine Gallagher  

Hometown: Poughkeepsie, NY
Undergrad Institution: Columbia University
Undergrad Major: BA in History
Previous work experience: Marketing and Project Management with MCI and BroadBand Office (which was funded by VC firm Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield, and Byers)
MBA focus: Marketing and Finance
Smith Activities: President of Graduate Women in Business, VP of Career Development for Graduate Marketing Association, New Markets Growth Fund Associate
Internship:  Piccolo Group

Q:        How has Smith’s finance-oriented courses prepared you for your career?

A:         Prior to returning to business school, I had very little exposure to the finance side of the business world.  Through my courses in finance and accounting, I have gained an understanding of the entire life-cycle of a firm’s financing from venture capital and initial public offerings to bank debt through more complicated risk management and financial engineering strategies of large firms.  I also understand how to analyze a set of financial statements, how financial statements relate to each other, and how they change from one period to the next.  My knowledge of finance will be essential to my success as a manager regardless of which functional area I pursue.

Q:        How has New Markets Growth Fund helped prepare you for your job search and/or future?

A:         The New Markets Growth Fund offers Robert H. Smith School MBA students a remarkable opportunity to gain exposure to and experience with the elite world of venture capital investing.  As I pursue entrepreneurial interests after graduation, the experience of working for a $20 million, for-profit venture capital fund will provide me with a distinct competitive advantage over other entrepreneurs.  The chance to work through the entire deal process, from intake to making the investment and then providing operational support to portfolio companies, multiple times, allows for a tremendous amount of learning to take place in a relatively short amount of time.  In addition, because venture capital investing is not an exact science, the opportunity to learn from not just the New Markets Growth Fund managers but also other local venture capitalists and entrepreneurs rounds out the training.  I count my decision to apply for the New Markets Growth Fund among the best career decisions I have made.          

CLICK HERE to read the New Markets Growth Fund article in The Washington Post
New Markets Growth Fund Practicum named Outstanding Entrepreneurship Course of the Year CLICK HERE  

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Jeff Schollaert

Hometown: Chambersburg, PA
Undergrad Institution: Colgate University
Undergrad Major: Mathematics
Previous work experience: consulting, equity research and start-up technology company
MBA focus: Finance
Smith Activities: co-President, Finance Association; Associate, New Markets Growth Fund, Sport and Social Club
Internship:  Intel
Post-MBA plans: Wachovia, Associate Analyst, Equity Research

Q:        How did Smith's finance-oriented offerings helped you prepare for you internship?

A:         The finance classes I have taken at Smith have been valuable for both my internship this summer at Intel, and helping me get my full-time job next year at Wachovia Securities.  Before coming to Smith, I had no formal finance education. After taking finance courses at Smith I gained both the basic skills necessary to succeed in a finance career as well as the ability to apply these skills to real-world business problems.  My experience at Intel this summer was invaluable in applying my new skills to real business problems.  At Intel I was able to draw not only on finance classes during my first year, but almost every class in the core curriculum.

Q:        How has Smith added value to you?  How have you added value to Smith?

A:         Smith has given me not only a first-rate academic education in business, but more importantly access to great members of the business community, whether they be speakers in class, alumni, professors, or fellow students.  I believe that I gained much from these experiences, and that is why I wanted to give back to the Smith community.  As President of the Finance Association, I have helped prepare first year students for their internship search through resume reviews, panel discussions, mock interview workshops and networking events.  Another valuable experience for me has been the New Markets Growth Fund, a $20M venture capital fund run in association with the Smith School.  This opportunity has brought me in touch with leading members of the venture community and successful and aspiring entrepreneurs.

Q:        What is the most valuable thing that you've learned at Smith?

A:         I think the most valuable thing I learned at Smith is the importance of clear communication coupled with the ability to "see" the big picture. A few of my professors have been vital in challenging me to think not only about a given business decision, but also the implications of these decision on other parts of the company and industry.

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IF YOU WERE HERE YOU COULD...

Saunter over to the National Zoo to celebrate Panda Month!  Included in the activities will be the ground breaking on the new Fujifilm Giant Panda Conservation Habitat and Asia Trail. The month also highlights panda breeding – but we are only promoting the other activities!

Participate in the 100^th anniversary of  the National Zoo’s  African American Family Day celebration.  Historically, the Monday after Easter was the only day during the calendar year that the zoo permitted African Americans to visit the animals and exhibits.  The day always brought large numbers of visitors.  Many families have continued the Easter Monday tradition long after the zoo abandoned its policy of segregation. (source: www.districtchronicles.com)

Join all the cool cats for Jazz Appreciation Month at the Museum of Natural History.  Events include free concerts, lectures and listening sessions of rare recordings.

Could take us all out to  the ballgame, as baseball season has officially started.  The Baltimore Orioles will host many games this Spring and Summer.  Camden Yards has captured the old-style charm of Baltimore’s architecture, and new school technology with the score boards and sound system.

Welcome soccer phenom Freddy Adu to the DC United!  And be sure to look for members of  the Smith Soccer Team in the stands (we are sure they will be heard over the roar of the crowd).

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