Student Managed Investment Fund

For more than 70 years, the University of Georgia Foundation has invested in the education of University of Georgia students. In 2006, that "investment" took on new meaning when a generous gift from UGA alums Darren DeVore - who has since become a Foundation Trustee - and his wife Pam allowed the Foundation to establish a real investment fund to be managed by students at the Terry College of Business.

Dr. Chris Stivers, associate professor of banking and finance at the Terry College of Business and faculty advisor for the SMIF, helped nurture the idea of a student-managed investment fund from a university club with a handful of students to a prestigious academic endeavor that this year received more than 90 applications for 18 fund committee spots.

"The program is an opportunity for the students to be involved in managing real money in a portfolio setting. It is realistically educational," says Dr. Stivers. "Leadership, working together in a group, and presentation skills are all a part of the education."

During the Foundation's fall meeting, the SMIF's student-managers make a presentation to the Investment Committee recapping their investment strategies and providing an analysis of the fund's performance during the previous year. The meeting also is an opportunity for students to receive feedback, advice and insight from the Foundation's highly-successful investment professionals.

The SMIF is a hands-on learning opportunity that produces a return on investment to which every university aspires, and even more proof that a gift to the University of Georgia Foundation is always a valuable investment.

Read more about the Student Managed Investment Fund in the University of Georgia Foundation 2009 annual report.