In just a few weeks, four University of the Ozarks students will have the rare opportunity to hear and meet some of the country's top movers and shakers in the financial and economics field.
Dru Evans, Kurt Shemanske, Gerardo Navarrete and Gerrad Unger will join Political Science Professor Gilbert Parks at the third annual Global Asset Management Education (GAME) Forum April 4-6 in New York City. The event, co-sponsored by Quinnipiac University and NASDEQ OMX, provides college students and faculty with the opportunity to interact with industry leaders and learn best practices in investment management.
This is the second year that Parks will be taking Ozarks students to what is considered one of the premier asset management conferences in the country. Last year the GAME Forum drew more than 1,000 students and faculty from 118 colleges and 43 countries.
"This is a wonderful event because in a three-day period students can get so much great information from some of the top people in the financial industry," said Parks. "You’ve got leaders from many of the top investment firms in the country, as well as people in financial media, day trading, hedge fund management and investment fund management. It’s not often that you can hear and see a Who’s Who of the finance industry in one place like this."
Among the featured industry leaders scheduled to speak at this year’s forum are Abby Cohen, the senior investment strategist and president of Global Markets Institute at Goldman Sachs; Guy Adami, managing director of Drakon Capital and a contributor on CNBC’s Fast Money; Edward Knight, executive vice president and general counsel of NASDAQ OMX Group; and Sam Stovall, chief equity strategist of Standard & Poor’s Capital IQ.
"There are rotating one-hour workshops and panels that go on for three days and that cover a wide-variety of topics," Parks said. "You get a chance to sit in small groups with some of these industry leaders and then ask them questions. If you’re interested in a career in economics or finance, there’s really nothing like it."
The forum also includes a variety of breakout panels and workshops that cover such things as career opportunities within the financial services industry and portfolio building. Evans, a senior economics and marketing major from Dallas, Texas, will be making his second trip to the GAME Forum this year.
"It’s an incredible three-day period because you hear so much information and you get so many tips and suggestions about the financial field, which is something I love," he said. "It really is a lifetime opportunity."
Evans, who plans to go to graduate school and then pursue a career in the financial sector after graduating from Ozarks in May, said he found the panels and workshops dealing with career preparation especially relevant.
"There were some really good presentations on how to build your portfolio, setting up your resume and how to prepare for job interviews that helped me a lot," he said. "Plus, the forum is just a neat way to network and meet with so many people in the industry. I already have two job interviews set up for after graduation that came about because of things I learned at last year’s conference."
Topics: Business Administration