TAHLEQUAH — A new investment lab on the Tahlequah campus will bridge asset management theory with practical experience for Northeastern State University students.
NSU officials gathered on Thursday to cut the ribbon on the new Battenfield-Carletti Investment Lab located on the first floor of the College of Business & Technology.
The new investment lab is a collaborative space where students will have access to a suite of investment software and real-time business data as they develop their asset management skills.
“This lab is an outstanding addition to the immersive learning initiatives in the College of Business & Technology,” NSU President Steve Turner said. “This is yet another opportunity to connect our academic programs in real time with real world experiences so that our students can be successful in the professional career arena when they leave us.”
Vice President and Commercial Loan Officer with AVB Bank Steven D. Barnes said the new investment lab will blend academia and practice together as students carry out similar tasks as the investors in the financial management department at AVB Bank.
Barnes, who also serves on an advisory board for the College of Business & Technology, said he envisions the lessons taking place within the new investment lab will feel similar to an internship for the students which would only increase their marketability to employers upon graduation.
“They will have some hands-on experience and get their hands dirty,” Barnes said. “They’ll probably get burned a few times by the market but sometimes it’s not so much about winning but learning how to recover after a loss.”
The lab features an up-to-date, full-color ticker-tape display and over a dozen computer terminals. In addition, students will have access to investment software including Morningstar Direct, a global investment analysis platform that will allow students to have access to investment expertise from across the world, and StockTrak, a global portfolio simulation and trading room.
The $100,000 investment lab was financed using private funding raised during the “Preserve our past. ENSUre Our Future” campaign. Top donors included NSU alumni Dr. Harold and Mary Battenfield and Janice Carletti, the widow of Dr. John Carletti, who also supported the establishment of the Battenfield-Carletti Distinguished Entrepreneur Lecture Series which invites NSU alumni to campus to share their entrepreneurial experiences with students.
Although Drs. Battenfield and Carletti were an orthopedic surgeon and a dentist, respectively, they realized the importance that a solid business education played in opening and running their own health care practices.
Students will begin utilizing the lab during the fall 2022 semester. It will be utilized for courses on investments, financial statement analysis, derivative securities, investment strategies and portfolio management and securities analysis.
It will also be available to instructors who would like to introduce students to the offerings in the lab that can enhance a given project or learning opportunity in their course.
“The vision for this space is one where Main Street meets Wall Street, where students from all majors and walks can convene in a common space surrounded by experiential learning opportunities, professionals from the investment world and professors on the cutting edge of research dedicated to furthering our understanding of finance in general, investments more specifically,” NSU Finance Instructor Joe LaTurner said.
As NSU officials celebrated the culmination of several years of discussion to bring an investment lab to campus, they also noted that more plans are in the works to give NSU students a greater edge in the world of finance and investment.
“We are forever grateful to our donors for making this investment lab a reality,” Dean of the College of Business & Technology Dr. Janet Buzzard said. “This is a starting point. We will definitely be creating a lot more activities that will go along with this lab.”
