Arkansas Tech University finance students Tucker Cramm of Irving, Texas, Ethan Ellis of Danville, Adrian Falcon of Fort Smith, Alexander Tippin of Dardanelle and Aaron Watkins of Beebe attended the Student Managed Investment Fund Consortium (SMIFC) Conference in Chicago, Ill., Oct. 9–10.
ATU College of Business and Economic Development faculty members Dr. Peng “Roc” Huang and Dr. Masanori Kuroki accompanied the Arkansas Tech students to Chicago.
“The conference was awesome because it really shed a light on how much grey area there is in our economy and financial structure,” said Ellis. “From listening to all the great speakers during our visit, it was clear that no one actually knows what’s going to happen in the future. Even the most informed people in the country are still taking educated guesses based on the data available to them. Based on all the insights that were shared at the conference, the number one thing I made a note of is the importance of risk management when building a portfolio.”
The SMIFC Conference brings together students, faculty and industry professionals from across the nation to explore topics in portfolio management, investment strategy, financial analysis, the U.S. economic outlook and careers in the finance industry.
“I think that the greatest benefit of going on educational trips like this one is to learn people who are at the top of their field,” said Ellis. “While in Chicago, I got to hear so much about how these speakers got to their position, what they do on a daily basis and their insights on the future of our economy. From this, I was able to get a better idea of what I’ll be doing once I graduate and what my journey through the corporate world will look like. Overall, it was a great trip, and I would recommend any student presented with an opportunity like this to take it.”
During the two-day event, ATU students also participated in the SMIFC portfolio building competition, applying classroom knowledge to real-world investment scenarios.
“Students attended conference sessions featuring presentations by leading figures in finance and economics, including professionals from major financial, investment and insurance firms, as well as economists from the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago,” said Huang. “They gained valuable insights into how classroom theories translate into real-world financial applications and deepened their understanding of monetary policy challenges, inflation trends and the impact of interest rate decisions on global markets.”
Beyond the conference, students visited Chicago’s financial institutions, including the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. They also explored the city’s cultural landmarks.
ATU has its own student managed investment fund (SMIF). It allows finance majors to gain hands-on experience managing real assets through various finance courses. Profits gained in this fund are used each year to provide student travel experiences to enrich their business education.
“Attending the SMIFC Conference also provided students an opportunity to learn best practices from other university SMIF programs and exchange ideas on investment strategies and fund management,” said Huang.
The trip was made possible through the support of the ATU LeMoyne Smith School of Business.
Learn more about the ATU College of Business and Economic Development at www.atu.edu/business.
