By Marc R. Masferrer, University Communications and Marketing
Assistant Professor Vikas Soni of the Muma College of Business speaks to visiting high school students about the Bloomberg Lab at USF Sarasota-Manatee.
The Bloomberg Lab on the second floor of the academic building at USF Sarasota-Manatee is a gateway students can take to lucrative careers in business, finance and investing.
That was the key takeaway for more than 100 local high school students on campus for Wall Street Trading with Bloomberg Day at USF Sarasota-Manatee on Wednesday.
What is the Bloomberg Lab?
The lab, named after the financial information, software and media firm founded by Michael Bloomberg, features an electronic ticker tape ribbon and 12 Bloomberg Terminals, which provide access to real-time data from markets around the world, in addition to news, research and powerful analytics used by top decision-makers in finance, business and government. The terminals are identical to machines found at banks, investment houses and other financial firms.
USF students who use the Bloomberg Lab, or an identical lab at the Muma College of Business in Tampa, earn a Bloomberg Market Concepts certificate, a valuable credential when seeking a job in the financial industry, said Assistant Professor Vikas Soni, director of the Bloomberg Lab at USF Sarasota-Manatee.
“It is the industry standard,” Soni said.
Alexandria (Alex) Davis, a local entrepreneur, certified public accountant and member of the USF Muma College of Business Sarasota-Manatee Advisory Board, spoke to visiting high school students about financial literacy topics.
Shaun Burgess, one of the financial professionals who was part of the program, described the importance of the Bloomberg terminal he uses in his position as lead strategist at Cumberland Advisors, a Sarasota-based investment advisory firm.
“It is literally the backbone of everything I do,” Burgess said. “There is so much at your fingertips.”
Donors support Bloomberg program at USF Sarasota-Manatee
Cumberland Advisors, as well as co-founder David Kotok, and USF donor Steve Drelich underwrote Wall Street Trading with Bloomberg Day. Kotok and Cumberland provided the support that led to the creation of lab at USF Sarasota-Manatee in March 2017, as well as the upgrading of the technology last year.
During breakout sessions with students in the lab, Soni test-drove a Bloomberg Terminal. With only a few keystrokes, he was able to drill down to detailed information about companies suggested by the students, such as who are the biggest suppliers and customers for computer chip maker Nvida, and the history of profits and losses at Coinbase, an online platform for trading cryptocurrencies.
USF students Ivan Hernandez, Chad Kennedy and Lan Phan spoke during Wall Street Trading Day with Bloomberg, about how USF has prepared them for careers in finance and investing.
In other breakout sessions, Joni Jones, Sarasota-Manatee campus dean for the Muma College of Business, described the degree programs available for students at USF; and three student leaders of the Investment Club at USF — Ivan Hernandez, Chad Kennedy and Lan Phan — talked about how their experiences at USF helped them land valuable internships in the financial industry. Retired portfolio manager Jeff Vancavage also spoke to the students about his career path.
The high schoolers, some of who said they are already investing in the market, also attended a session on the importance of financial literacy, led by Alexandria (Alex) Davis, a local entrepreneur, certified public accountant and member of the USF Muma College of Business Sarasota-Manatee Advisory Board.
Students also toured the Student Center and Atala Residence Hall, getting a firsthand look at campus life while learning the essential steps to apply and become part of the USF community.